Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Lord Mayor and thank her sincerely for her historic address. Given my own family background in north Antrim, I am deeply passionate about the North of Ireland and I am happy to see sustained engagement between these Houses and Belfast. I have a huge soft spot for Belfast. It is an amazing city – vibrant, musical and full of life, energy, humour and complexity.To have the Lord Mayor here today to speak to us is a really positive step and one I would like to see continued.

My experience of Belfast has involved performing there many times. I have performed at the West Belfast Festival and in the opera house there and I have wonderful memories.

These initiatives are particularly important at a time of deep political uncertainty and particularly with Brexit looming. I am privileged to be a member of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as well as the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU. This has been a focus of mine over the past year and it really breaks my heart that so much of our time and of our social and political energy is being spent on defending against the impact of Brexit, time that should be spent on the wonderful social and cultural potential that exists in our cities. We all realise how important it is and it is right that we make it a priority.

Britain's decision to leave the European Union and the reckless pursuit of a hard Brexit by many of those in leadership roles has put serious pressure on the Good Friday Agreement. I firmly believe elected representatives need to show dedication, bravery and unwavering commitment to protecting it. We talk of progress on a final deal ahead of the March 2019 deadline. We cannot accept those who speak flippantly about the Good Friday Agreement when one considers the progress it has brought and the absolute necessity of avoiding a hard border. Thankfully, this is one of those issues on which we see unanimous support across the Houses of the Oireachtas. On this point I want to give credit to the Government and, in particular, the Tánaiste, Deputy Coveney, for his work during the Brexit negotiations. A legally operable backstop fully supported by the European Union is vital to protecting peace on our shared island. That point has been made clearly and coherently and I am positive that we will see it reflected in any final deal.

One of the more positive and inspiring aspects of our work on the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement has been our outreach to community groups in east and west Belfast and we have gone on many trips there and it has been an amazing experience. It has had a great impact on the committee's membership. I found it especially moving as someone who has spent so many years in the community sector. The work that has been carried out on peace and reconciliation, the slow ordinary everyday work, the process of reaching out across divides and pushing for co-operation is deeply inspiring and a real cause for hope. The RISE Foundation in which I work has run cross-Border, cross-community programmes. To be involved in that has been an incredible experience, watching cross-community work, particularly around mental health issues, and cross-Border work, where people from the South have listened to stories from both communities, the reality of what it was like during the conflict, and the legacy of the mental health issues that have come out of the conflict with addiction, depression and anxiety. At the end of the day, people have to deal with these issues on an equal basis.

This draws on the bigger and broader aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, recognising that it is not just a political or diplomatic agreement and that it is an aspirational document outlining a vision for a transformed and shared society. When we saw the huge turnout and support for it 20 years ago right across this island, it was not just a vote for peace. It was a vote for regeneration, opportunity, empowerment and co-operation and for an improvement to the basic material conditions of everyday life. It was an endorsement of a society that protects the rights of all citizens and how that can help provide the education, employment, healthcare and housing needed for human dignity and flourishing. As elected representatives, this is something we must remember. We need to recognise how much work still needs to be done to deliver on these aspirations. I have raised this issue in this Chamber. I attended an event in St. Mary's in Belfast earlier this year and I was struck by some of the contributions, particularly one from a young member of the LGBT community. He spoke so passionately about the barriers and discrimination that still exist and the need for greater equality. It is a message that should resonate in Dublin and in Belfast and I am glad to see young people leading that change. All across Ireland we are seeing a new generation of young people who are more willing than ever to stand up for their rights and to drive social change and I met many of them in Belfast.

Under the Good Friday Agreement, the European Convention on Human Rights was incorporated into domestic law into the North of Ireland, prohibiting discrimination on a wide array of grounds. In 2010, it was joined by the Charter on Fundamental Rights of the European Union with a particularly important focus on workers rights, socio-economic support and anti-discrimination. These are hard-won vital protections that must be enjoyed equally by every person on this island, in Dublin, in Belfast and everywhere else. It is a point I have made consistently as a member of the Good Friday committee but it bears repeating. If Brexit means a repeal of the Human Rights Act which underpins these protections in the North, then we must ensure that it does not bring any reduction whatsoever in terms of human rights standards. The protections that exist must continue, be legally enforceable and be equivalent on both sides of the Border.

Occasions like this give us an opportunity to make that point firmly, so I am very grateful that the Lord Mayor is here today to draw upon the historic and hugely positive links between Dublin and Belfast and to reaffirm our commitment to continuing them. The Lord Mayor has given such a wonderful account of the city she loves and I would like to thank her most sincerely as a Member of Seanad Éireann agus gabhaim míle buíochas di and congratulations.