Seanad debates
Tuesday, 9 December 2003
Independent Monitoring Commission Bill 2003: Second Stage.
It would be nice to see a united Ireland in the future, but I do not think it is what is important. It is not my priority. What is important is co-operation between the two jurisdictions at every level. As talks progress, this will bring about peace in the future. We must try to improve co-operation at all levels. There is a lot of work going on in this area about which most people are not aware. However, much more needs to be done. I have experience of co-operation between local authorities here and in the North. This is something in which I became involved in the past couple of years. I had not been to the North until recently. I stayed my first night in Northern Ireland during the summer at a summer school in Armagh. Many people now travel to the North to do shopping, which is the way forward. The two jurisdictions can enrich each other. We could be of help to and learn from each other. Everyone considers themselves Irish but may have different perspectives on the matter. However, the most important aspect at the end of the day is co-operation and I see the legislation as part of that.
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