Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Good Friday Agreement was a monumental achievement by all involved. It showed courageous leadership and has brought us to a really good place for the past 25 years. One of the shortcomings of the agreement was the failure to have a proper implementation structure. Now, 25 years on, many elements of the agreement are yet to be implemented. I refer in particular to the bill of rights and the all-island charter of rights. It is incumbent on the Tánaiste and the Government to ensure they play their part in the bill of rights and the all-island charter of rights being realised. I ask that the Government strengthen and expand the North-South Ministerial Council and, in particular, to ensure it includes further and higher education. There are significant opportunities at third level for reconciliation across the island.

I wish to discuss constitutional change. However we look at the next 25 years, we know there will be constitutional change. I am not sure when it will happen but it will happen. There is an onus on the Government to represent citizens to ensure we have prepared for that change. The Cathaoirleach of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, Deputy O'Dowd, is present. The committee is currently considering the various aspects in that regard, such as what would an all-island economy, health service, education and so on would look like. Last week, Dr. Tom Boland and Dr. Ciara Fitzpatrick appeared before the committee in a telling contribution on welfare and pensions in particular. What came from that was the possibilities with which we are presented here and now. Since partition and the foundation of the State, we have never had an opportunity to understand and put forward the values that should underpin our welfare, education, health and other systems. We have opportunities here and we need to grasp them. Many academic papers have been written on this. In particular, I commend the shared island unit on the research it has carried out. A framework for that to be done is needed, however, and it is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that is delivered.

See this speech in context