Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998 has provided a basic infrastructure within which we on this island can build and sustain peace. The institutions created by the Good Friday Agreement are largely political. Many are not functioning now, and that is a huge loss. These institutions provide a framework within which we can find ways to live together on this small island. Of course we recognise our differences, but we do not allow difference or division to set the political, social or economic agenda.

I will not attempt to list the many names of those who contributed to putting this agreement in place. It is a long list and an honourable one. To all of those people on all sides and from all traditions, I say a heartfelt thank you. As a Deputy who is proud to represent a number of Border counties, I thank them for helping us to bring our lives back to normal and for giving people real hope for the present and that the future can be much better than the past. In any major achievement, there are always unsung heroes whose contributions matter. One group I will mention is the families of those who were murdered or maimed and who asked, indeed begged, that there would be no retaliation. That kind of bravery is remarkable. Even in the midst of their awful grief, they were able to see that their society and locality could only flourish in peace. While we quite rightly praise the names of those who contributed to achieving the landmark agreement, we must not forget the communities and families who are helping to sustain the Good Friday Agreement.

The strength of the Good Friday Agreement can be seen in how it withstood the ravages of Brexit. Time and again, I remember how in the European Parliament we were able to reiterate our support for the Good Friday Agreement. It was like a bulwark or a protection based on the democratic preferences of people on both sides of the Border. We could cling to that protection to help us navigate the dangerous waters of Brexit. It was extremely valuable in that circumstance.

I will refer to an issue that is close to my heart. I am not sure whether anyone else has referred to it today. I have not managed to hear all of the debate. It is something I have supported for a long time, that is, the promotion of integrated education in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement commits to facilitating and encouraging integrated education as an essential part of creating a culture of tolerance at every level of society. When we speak of progress since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, we sometimes do not pay enough attention to the fact that the number of students who attend integrated schools has risen very slowly. In 1998, that figure was approximately 2.4% of the student population. Now it is only 8%. On one level, it could be said that numbers in integrated education have tripled, but in reality fewer than one in 12 students attend an integrated school and sit in an integrated classroom.

Not all the political institutions and not all the political parties are keeping up with the wishes of the people in Northern Ireland as many integrated schools are oversubscribed. Some parents are unable to send their children to integrated schools although they wish to do so. Under the Fresh Start agreement, which aimed to implement the Stormont House Agreement fully, £500 million sterling was provided by the British Government to ensure the progress of integrated education. That was back in 2016. A little more than 10% of that funding has been spent. Why is this the case? What is the rationale for this huge underspend of moneys that would provide shared spaces in schools, places where students could attend every day and explore their own lives and those of their classmates, places where they would have the opportunity to gain understanding of one another's backgrounds and traditions and, crucially, places where they could grow together and find shared aspirations, hopes and ways of living?

Integrated education is not a silver bullet but it is a solid foundation on which an integrated society can be built.

I have heard many people speak about border polls and a citizens' assembly as a preparation for a united Ireland. While that is certainly part of the picture, putting the roof on a house in which the foundations are not fully stable is not a wise move and not in the immediate future. Part of stabilising those foundations will be the promotion of integrated education by all political parties. Not only will it help to build a more cohesive society, it will help to implement the Good Friday Agreement.

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