Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to share a few thoughts in this very important debate. I commend the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, on his efforts just over a year ago, with his former colleague, the then Secretary of State, Julian Smith, to make this agreement possible and get the Northern Ireland Executive back up and running. I was taken with the Taoiseach's opening remarks. The work he has done on the shared island initiative shows a personal and political commitment that should be an example to all of us in this House.

I am struck by the generous and reflective tone of the contributions to this debate from Deputies of all parties and none. When we talk about this issue and our shared island, that is the tone we should adopt. We need to approach this issue in a sensitive and humble manner and be aware of the possibilities and opportunities for every resident of this island, regardless of political affiliation. We need to see the practical political realisation of the aims of the Good Friday Agreement and, with no predetermined outcome or objective set in stone, we need to take this opportunity to regularise the North-South and east-west institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. They are grossly underutilised. That goes for the North-South Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, which is co-chaired by my colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith. If we had a formal calendar for arranging these meetings on a bimonthly or monthly basis, we would get the consistent political engagement we need, particularly on a North-South basis but also through the shared island approach of reaching every sector of society.

It should become normal for people from County Clare to go on their holidays to the north Antrim coast and for Leinster fans like me to go to Ravenhill, when travel is allowed in due course. We need to demystify many issues and ensure our Republic is a warm and welcoming place for everyone on this island. When we tackle those practical, personal and long-standing obstacles, we will move much further along.

As I conclude on that note, I join with others in condemning the attacks and threats made to the Minister, Nichola Mallon, this week. They are absolutely disgraceful. I know we are better than that as a people and an island. I will conclude with that. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle very much for the opportunity to speak.

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