Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A number of members referred, quite rightly, to individuals and bodies who played an important role in achieving the Good Friday Agreement. They have been remembered over the last fortnight. Senator Norris listed quite a number of people, including Gordon Wilson, who went to the same school as me, while Senator Higgins made particular reference, importantly, to the many women who played such an important role in the peace process and the agreement. One body which has not been mentioned much, if at all, in today’s debate is the European Union, formerly the EEC. It also played a role in the peace process, not least financially going back to 1989 with the commencement of the peace funds which have pumped billions of euro into Northern Ireland to maintain peace. Those funds were very welcome.

Northern Irish MEPs like John Hume played a role in that as did John Cushnahan, albeit representing a Southern constituency, and Jim Nicholson, who remains in the European Parliament. They pushed the peace agenda constantly in Brussels and Strasbourg, as has the Tánaiste during his time, on the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament. That is a very important role that was able to grow into a much more benevolent one, in that our common membership of the European Union meant that after the Good Friday Agreement Ireland, North and South, was able to reach normality far more rapidly than other conflict zones on the Continent. People were able to cross the Border with ease due to the common travel area. They were able to trade with ease, able to go to each other's universities and hospitals, to benefit from with various levels of funding; Common Agricultural Policy funding, Horizon 2020, Erasmus+ and so much else. All of that is under attack, not by individuals in Northern Ireland or this jurisdiction but by the concept that is Brexit, and the ignorant opinion of what Brexit should mean held by many people in England, and I specifically say England.

Senator Norris was right to say that the comments by the Labour Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, Barry Gardiner MP, referring to the Good Friday Agreement as a "shibboleth" or a purely economic concern were not only ignorant; they were insulting. We must take it upon ourselves to educate, inform and where necessary argue with people in the UK who take the Good Friday Agreement for granted and allow an apathetic mindset to prevail. I would like to conclude with those comments, and I thank the Tánaiste for giving us so much time.