Dáil debates

Wednesday, 18 May 2022

Ceisteanna - Questions

Good Friday Agreement

1:42 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Durkan and a number of Deputies raised the issue of the British Government decision yesterday and announcement of an intention to bring in legislation to circumvent and undermine the protocol. That is unacceptable. I made it very clear that unilateral action is not the way to progress issues pertaining to the protocol. We have always accepted that legitimate issues have been raised with regard to the protocol. We have also been very clear, and I was very clear to the British Prime Minister last week, that the European Union has made very progressive and advanced moves in respect of the protocol, particularly last October, which were not reciprocated adequately. I have asked and made the point that the only way to resolve issues pertaining to the protocol is for substantive and professional negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom Government. Those should commence without delay.

In addition, the Assembly should be convened without delay. It is unacceptable in any democratic society that once the people have voted, the parliament for which they voted does not get established. If we think about it, it is just unacceptable that in the immediate aftermath of an election, the people cannot have their parliament convened. That should happen immediately.

In terms of Deputy Ó Laoghaire's comments, again, we have developed our systems here. We have a free book scheme, which has been expanded, and we will continue to work on improving access to it. Our outcomes are stronger. The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, programme in particular was singled out by the ESRI as particularly important. That was introduced in the early 2000s and has had a huge impact in school retention. The most recent announcement by the Minister, Deputy Foley, again copper-fastens the work that was done by the Governments in the early 2000s in respect of DEIS. The degree to which it has had an impact was clear from the ESRI report.

I dealt with some of Deputy Bacik's comments in terms of the British Government's approach. I will make a general point, and Deputies Haughey and Brendan Smith also raised this, that the whole basis of the Good Friday Agreement and peace process was on both Governments working together, underpinned with working with all the political parties in the North. The current British Government has digressed from that in spirit it seems to me. That is manifest in the legacy proposals and it is manifest now in terms of the protocol. Brexit created a context; the protocol was designed to try to deal with the unique situation with Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement. Issues were raised that can be resolved; I have no doubt about that. Those issue can be resolved but there needs to be a proper engagement with the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement, which involves both Governments working lock stock together with the political parties to achieve progress into the future.

In terms of my attendance yesterday at the commemoration of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and Justice for the Forgotten, I pay tribute to them. We are continuing to seek access to all documents from the British Government and doing anything we can here in terms of facilitating the Operation Denton report and the work of Jon Boutcher in that regard. I have equally already articulated my concerns in terms of legacy. Again, that unilateral approach is not acceptable. I have met the victims groups and they should be uppermost in our consideration. I do not believe there should be any amnesty for anybody who committed murder in Northern Ireland or for anyone who was involved in any atrocity. All parties to atrocities should be accountable and if prosecutions can take place, they should.

Deputies Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy raised the issue of the maternity hospital and brought that up in the context of a shared island.

There is no church involvement in the new national maternity hospital. The church has divested itself from St. Vincent’s Holdings CLG, so there is no church involvement. It will be a secular hospital and all lawfully permitted services available in the State will be provided in this hospital into the future. There is full public ownership through the 300-year lease, which is not conditional, a term Deputy Bacik used earlier. The only condition on the lease is that we build a maternity hospital and maintain it-----

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