Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Irish peace process has been described as one of the most successful in the world and it has changed the political landscape. It is a process that is still evolving and trying to deal with the legacy of the past and the expectations of the future.

As a member of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I have seen at first hand how the agreement has been beneficial to society and how it needs to be fully implemented. I have listened to the frustrations of communities which believe the process of change is too slow. Many believe it needs to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and brought forward into the 21st century.

The committee itself is cross-party and cross-Border, involving MPs from the North. It is no threat to anyone or any group. The main weakness of the committee is that elected Unionist politicians have so far refused to take their seats on it, but hopefully this will change in the near future.

The committee provides an opportunity to discuss cross-Border all-Ireland initiatives and outstanding issues of the Good Friday Agreement and the St. Andrews Accord. Some of the most worthwhile work that we have done is leaving Leinster House and visiting different community groups in the North, particularly those communities that live in interface areas.

Engaging with these groups allows relationships to be built, gives under-represented communities the chance to be heard, and gives Members of the Oireachtas a better understanding of the issues many of these communities face on a daily and nightly basis. Many of these groups are frustrated by the inaction of their political representatives, the slowness of change and the continued high rate of poverty that exists in many of their communities. The recent discovery of a case of rickets in a child in west Belfast demeans us all, whether on the Falls Road or the Shankill.

The peace dividend that would supposedly bring jobs and prosperity has not happened. This has the potential to get worse due to the triple-whammy effect of the policies of the Tory-led Government in London. The £4 billion of cuts imposed on the Northern Executive's budget, coupled with a delay in devolving the power of the Executive to control its own fiscal affairs, and the imposition of so-called welfare reforms by London, will undoubtedly affect the most vulnerable in society, be they Unionist, Nationalist, republican or loyalist.

Post-conflict societies and communities need much more strategic, structured support and protection than regular ones. If the British Government continues to impose this brutal austerity on the North, and if the Irish Government says nothing, we will inevitably see the politics of division and sectarianism strengthened.

The recent flag disturbances showed to the world that the fault lines still remain. Equity and parity of esteem are still a long way off. We need to re-energise the peace process and the political process in the North. That will only happen if the Irish and British Governments give it the necessary time, engagement and focus it needs.

Many people fear that the upcoming G8 summit in Fermanagh, and the marching season two days after, have the potential to stretch police resources. The weekend before last, when we were up in Belfast, the constant call was by people who were concerned about how this would affect the marching season.

There needs to be inclusive discussions between the Orange Order and communities that are affected by their marches. Such talks need to be supported by both Governments, politicians of all persuasions, the churches and civic society. The Good Friday Agreement gave us the chance and opportunity to build a new and fairer Ireland. If this Government continues to neglect the North and the outstanding issues of the Agreement, that once in a lifetime opportunity may well be lost and wrecked on the rocks of indifference.

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