Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:notes that:

- this year marks the 15th anniversary of the historic Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which was ratified by an overwhelming majority of citizens in referenda held North and South on 22 May 1998;

- this is set out in an internationally binding treaty;

- the Agreement recognises fully the differences between the equally legitimate political aspirations of the Unionist and Nationalist sections of the community in Northern Ireland;

- the Agreement and subsequent agreements, at St. Andrews in 2006 and at Hillsborough Castle in 2010, are premised on the principles of full respect for, and equality of, civil, political, social and cultural rights, of freedom from discrimination for all citizens, and of parity of esteem and of just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos, and aspirations of both communities; and

- it is essential to acknowledge and address the suffering of all the victims of conflict as a necessary element of reconciliation and healing;

recognises the crucial role played by all those, both in Ireland and abroad, who worked to bring the conflict to an end, promote the political process and build reconciliation; and

calls on the Government, as joint and co-equal guarantors of the agreements, to:

- ensure that all the commitments in these agreements are implemented by both governments;

- renew substantive engagement with the British Government to progress outstanding issues, including the establishment of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland and an all-Ireland Charter of Rights and other legislative commitments;

- ensure the realisation of the promised peace dividend and financial package agreed at St. Andrews which the current British Government has failed to deliver;

- expedite the completion of the consideration of the case for additional implementation bodies and areas of co-operation on a North-South basis as agreed; and

- work with the British Government and all parties in re-energising the peace and political processes by promoting engagement and developing a reconciliation process which helps create the circumstances to manage the legacy of the past.

The Good Friday Agreement was a defining moment in recent Irish history.

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