Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I attended a British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly committee meeting at Stormont. One issue that emerged was the implementation of new models of education, which Deputy Regina Doherty has just mentioned. Another interesting issue concerned the overall implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Listening to the various representatives of different communities, be they loyalist or republican, it was noticeable that people genuinely feel the dividend of peace has not trickled down to ground level.

Without giving a commitment today, would the Taoiseach consider with his British counterpart the possibility of an annual report, prepared jointly by the Taoiseach’s office and the UK Prime Minister’s office, on the implementation of the agreement that could be laid before both sovereign Parliaments in Britain and Ireland, as well as the Northern Ireland Assembly, as guarantors? This would provide a further level of support for the agreement and for institutions such as the Assembly, the Executive, the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish Council. With the flags protest and other recent engagements, people are beginning to wonder about the dividend of peace in Northern Ireland. This suggestion of a joint report, which came up at yesterday’s meeting, would ensure here and in Westminster that we give a real voice to the cause of peace. Such a report could put forward proposals on the agreement which would allow us to go forward.

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