Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

I join the Taoiseach in acknowledging the contributions of former Senators Gordon Wilson and Billy Fox, with whom Senator Ross and I had the honour and distinction of serving. I acknowledge that six Members, or 10% of the membership, of the House come from the province of Ulster. As one born in the last parish in Leinster on the Ulster border, the importance of this issue is brought home to me on a daily basis. We abhor the views expressed on our television screens last night. We did so on the Order of Business today. Nothing that has happened in recent days was done in the name of the people, North or South. We speak for nearly everyone on the island today.

Today, we see huge progress towards the goal of a better society in Northern Ireland and on the island as a whole, informed by the institutions and structures established under the Good Friday Agreement and the St. Andrews Agreement. While the full potential inherent in these agreements remains to be fully developed, much has been achieved. We have moved on from a politics of opposition to a genuinely new relationship between the people of Ireland, North and South, and indeed between Britain and Ireland. This is something to be cherished, nurtured and protected. We can speak and relate to each other in ways that would have been unthinkable before, standing on the shoulders of those visionaries who consistently argued for a better relationship, one based on equality between all those who share in this society and who desire a better place in which to bring up their children.

As leader of Fianna Fáil in Seanad Éireann, I acknowledge the proud record of Seán Lemass, Jack Lynch, Charles J. Haughey, Albert Reynolds, Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach, and our founder, Eamon de Valera, with other Taoisigh, in their hard work and determination to bring us to where we are today.

Continued fair political and economic progress, based upon the principles of equality enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement, will create that better and truly shared society. While differences remain between parties and individuals, and perhaps will remain for some time, there is now at least a shared framework in which differences can be addressed and resolved. The same framework has also provided immeasurable benefits in relations between the islands of Ireland and Britain.

Our very positive experience of parliamentary contacts and co-operation on an east-west basis, through the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, should encourage us to pursue greater parliamentary collaboration on this island, between North and South.

Over the past two decades, the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly has played a crucial role in the improvement of the British-Irish bilateral relationship. It has proved to be a useful forum to foster dialogue and establish important bonds between the two parliaments. Continual engagement with each other on matters of mutual concern is vital if real understanding is to be achieved.

We are in the fortunate position of being able to work at building on the peace and progress of the past decade and to focus on the wider partnership of common interests between the people of these islands. In the early days, the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body, as it was then known, acted as a link between the Oireachtas and Westminster. More recently, as the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, it has served to open channels of communication and new relationships between all of the administrations on these islands. Like myself, many Senators have benefited from the strong interpersonal relationships that they have made as members of the assembly. I am also aware of the effective level of engagement between many assembly and Oireachtas committees. I participate in the excellent work of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, so ably chaired by Deputy Treacy. Therefore, I am heartened to hear from the Taoiseach of the work ongoing in respect of a North-South parliamentary forum.

There can be little doubt that the increased level of North-South co-operation represents one of the remarkable successes of the past 11 years. In particular, we have seen a remarkable amount of progress in the two years since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. Co-operation on a shared infrastructure, such as the road to Derry and Letterkenny, which the Taoiseach mentioned, and the eastern corridor between Dublin and Belfast, is critical for the future economic growth of the island. This is complemented by exciting new initiatives in areas like broadband telecommunications and co-operation in higher education and cross-Border provision of health services. It is wonderful that communities North and South are finally beginning to reap the fruit of political relations that have never been better on this island.

I join the Taoiseach in his condemnation of the attacks at Craigavon and Antrim, which tragically cut short the lives of three men. I am heartened that all parties in the Assembly and the Oireachtas were clear in their denunciation of these acts and united in their determination that the peace we have built on this island will not be undermined.

I wish to make two final points. In recent years, we have seen significant progress. Many people played their parts in that endeavour, namely, the Irish and British Governments, the Northern political parties, community leaders, representatives of civic society and parliamentarians across these islands. Many people worked hard along the way, reached out, stretched beyond their own deeply held beliefs and took risks to create a sustained peace. Collectively, they deserve the highest praise and commendation of the people of Ireland and this House.

It is a great honour and privilege to have the Taoiseach in attendance regarding this important topic. I thank him for appearing.