Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I have always had a great interest in the situation in the North. I previously mentioned my strong family links to the North, so it is a very personal issue for me and is very close to my heart. My work with the RISE Foundation has often brought me to the North, where I have worked with cross-community organisations. That was of great interest to me and the cross-community project was fascinating. It was very powerful from a therapeutic point of view. I know it is very difficult for any work to be done at the moment because we have devolved institutions. I believe that they can only function if there is equality. We have to look at issues relating to same-sex marriage and the Irish language Act. I am happy to hear today that progress is being made in this area and I am delighted that there will be and have been talks.

I will talk about Brexit and its implications for the North and the Border region, in particular, which are very serious and I believe it poses a great challenge to the island of Ireland, both economically and politically. A large majority of the population on the island are in favour of remaining in the EU and are against any imposition of a border. If the UK leaves the customs union, it is very likely that there will be a border and this will be incredibly harmful to the agricultural sector and other industries in the North. It could also pose a real danger to the peace process. It is essential that we work hard to avoid a hard border. I know that the Minister knows all of this.It is absolutely vital. CSO data show that approximately 15,000 people cross the Border every single day, and we have to ensure that this is not disrupted. We are talking about people’s lives - relationships, businesses, and everything else that demands their going from North to South easily, or vice versa.

It goes without saying that, in all of this, we have to make sure that the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement are always respected. It is a fantastic agreement. The Good Friday Agreement has been the bedrock of peace, stability and reconciliation in the North of Ireland and any final Brexit deal needs to be mindful of this. We must ensure that the status of the North is not changed without the consent of a majority of the people as this change of status would be in contravention of the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

There is a case for a unique solution or special deal for the North. We really need to focus on building a cross-community approach to this, which the Minister mentioned in his speech, and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to input. Much of the public debate has been around avoiding a hard Border, either across the island of Ireland or down the Irish Sea. The only sure way to avoid either of these outcomes is for the UK as a whole to remain in the customs union with the European Union.

We should also be clear that EU funding has been vital for many community services and initiatives in the North of Ireland, and we cannot let those projects just fall away once the UK leaves the EU. Despite the formal end of the conflict, a substantial proportion of the adult population continues to suffer the adverse mental health effects of chronic trauma exposure. This is where I did the work with the The Rise Foundation. It is likely that the legacy of ill mental health associated with the conflict, if not adequately addressed, will endure for many years.

As a member of the cross-party Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I recently organised a trip to meet cross-community groups in north Antrim and Belfast. All of the groups expressed concern about the impact of Brexit on their communities. One of the groups with which I have worked, called Bridge of Hope, is a community health and well-being service based in north Belfast that supports individuals affected by the conflict and poor physical and emotional health. It expressed concern that it may not get similar funding from the UK Government when its European funding stops in 2020 and that this could lead to the cancellation of services in one of the most deprived areas of Belfast. We cannot let these people down.

The EU-funded PEACE programme has provided over €2.2 billion for cross-Border projects on education, young people, shared spaces and relationship building. This has played a hugely important role in addressing the trauma and legacy mental health issues that have remained as a result of the conflict. Unless properly addressed, these issues can be longstanding and do untold damage to families and communities. We cannot allow this to happen. This funding must be maintained.

The reality is that there are still many legacy issues that need to be addressed before society can move on. The legacy issue has to be properly funded and brought to a conclusion. The onus is on the Irish Government to ensure that the British Government plays its part and accepts its role and responsibility in dealing with legacy issues.

It is also vital that we maintain common standards and approaches across the entire island in key areas such as environmental protection, which is an area that I am particularly interested in, healthcare, education and human rights. This is particularly clear when it comes to the environment. It seems very possible that the UK may no longer be bound by key EU environmental directives post-Brexit and this has caused a great degree of uncertainty.

Environmental issues by their nature transcend borders and there is a big overlap on issues such as biodiversity, waterways and air quality. We need a co-ordinated, consistent approach across the whole island, treating it as a single bio-geographic unit and realising that our rivers run across borders.British Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK will remain a leading actor on climate change. We have to ensure that this means no slipping in standards.

Similarly, this all-island approach must be taken for human rights protection too. If the UK withdraws from the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights or the European Convention on Human Rights, we must ensure that they are not replaced with a bill of rights which is watered down and less far-reaching. We simply cannot row back on people’s rights. Human rights protections must be equivalent on both sides of the Border. This is outlined in the Good Friday Agreement and we need to maintain it. It was great to see the dismantling of a peace wall in Belfast in recent weeks. It is to be hoped that this was the first of many. These barriers must be abolished and communities have to learn to live together.

In the past number of years some people have been marginalised and imprisoned without charge for years. The case of Tony Taylor comes to mind. He is incarcerated in Maghaberry Prison. His wife outlined his awful living conditions when she presented to the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The mistreatment of prisoners has long been a cause of unrest and must not become a threat to the peace process. All politicians should make their voices heard in calling for his release as no evidence has been produced to justify his detention.

The abandonment of the Six Counties in 1922 has left a deep scar in the Irish psyche. I believe that it has a parallel with the guilt felt by parents who abandon a child. The Minister may not like me saying it but that is how I feel. I also believe that the main southern parties have an obligation to organise throughout the Thirty-two Counties and advance their stated objective of the reunification of Ireland. The onus is on all people on this island to establish a nation that respects the traditions of all communities and creates a country of equals.