Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very proud to second the motion, which reconfirms Seanad Éireann's commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and welcomes the shared island unit. As somebody who was not old enough to vote for the agreement, I am particularly delighted to stand up in this House and say that I believe, as my family and I believed 23 years ago, that this is the way to a better Ireland. Growing up in a Border area that, unfortunately, saw its fair share of heartache and pain because of what happened over the past 100 years, I know the Good Friday Agreement changed everything. It changed my future and shaped me and many like me. We will not be able to count the lives that were saved because of the agreement but we can certainly count the benefits peace brought us all.

In the agreement, we created a plan and a vision but we have failed to implement all that was envisaged in that plan. This is down to the failure to co-operate and accept different viewpoints.Hard lines rarely do anyone any favours.

Those divisions still exist and were frighteningly obvious to us when we saw the violence on our streets over Easter. We must ask why we are still so segregated. Why are there more peace walls than ever? For far too long, the two main parties have focused on only delivering for their own community backgrounds and have failed to lead all citizens away from one-upmanship and an "us versus them" attitude that one side's problems are the result of another's gains. This is part of what is stopping this island from moving on. This lack of leadership and refusal to appreciate other's viewpoints are holding us back. We must hold our hands up and say wrong was done, answers must be given and we must own what was done by terrorist organisations and the British state. The amnesty announcement by the British Government is deplorable. If a country cannot stand up and say it was wrong and own the atrocities committed in its name, how will terrorist organisations own their acts of terror when they are supported to hide behind rhetoric just like the British Government? The legacy is still so raw, hurtful and divisive and we need to stop rubbing salt into the wounds of people's heartache and loss.

I look to the future and the next 100 years. Our children will not thank us if in decades to come, we rehash the same debate begging people to show leadership and work constructively together. We need to detoxify the symbols and our identities - republicanism, loyalism, unionism and nationalism. I am a republican. I believe in a united Ireland but I believe in a republicanism that is embodied in our Irish flag and the Proclamation. Our flag symbolises peace between green and orange while the Proclamation heralds equal rights, equal opportunities and freedom of religious expression where all of us are cherished equally regardless of who we are or where we come from. I often look to a local man, Thomas D'Arcy McGee, who was born in Carlingford in 1825. He ended up a member of the Canadian Government and is known in Canada as the father of confederation. He was an advocate for minority rights at a time when the politics of ethnic and religious identity were fraught. His core principle is one of unity in diversity. This concept is as relevant today as it ever was. We will only ever unite through respect for those diverse viewpoints and democratic principles.

The centenary commemorations North and South, Brexit and a possible nationalist majority in the North have changed things. I genuinely believe the UK as we know it is ending. Scotland is moving closer and closer to independence and there is even a conversation in Wales. Yes, a referendum on constitutional status is provided in the Good Friday Agreement but some of us disagree about how we get to that point. I would vote for unity every day of the week but because of continued mistrust and division, this conversation is leading to a rise in tensions. The continued exclusion of all voices in the conversation is the work of the same party that failed to work on implementing the Good Friday Agreement and brought down the power-sharing government six months after the Brexit vote. Surely a government to represent the people of the North at such a time would be important but no, they stayed away for three years, failed to represent people and ignored what they were being paid to do, which was to break down barriers, stop the hate, lead and govern. They just heightened the anxiety and built the walls higher. They did nothing and have continued to do nothing to actually bring about a united Ireland. This continuing failure to bring people together and create an environment that encourages trust and understanding reinforces the segregated society that prevents normal societal mixing and the realisation that we have so much in common and that it is okay to have different aspirations. We need to get on with the work of making people's lives better instead of creating more divisions. We should get on with the work of the full implementation of the three strands of the Good Friday Agreement, make this entire island stronger and more inclusive with more opportunities for our young people and create one strong community with different traditions. Then and only then will we get away from this bull of "us versus them", orange versus green and Catholic versus Protestant.

The shared island unit offers us this opportunity. It is of huge historical significance and I thank An Taoiseach for establishing it. For the first time in this nation's history, there is a dedicated unit focused on improving the lives of all of us on this island and listening to all of us on this island. It is a rejection of rhetoric and instead is a real mechanism to move the agenda forward in a way that allows people from all perspectives to participate. We need to listen, recognise and accept our differences.Projects that have been talked about for 20 years or more are now being driven forward. We are creating a framework and space for an all-island civic engagement on a wide range of issues through the shared island dialogue. This is happening. It is up to all of us to make it work. Today, Senator Flynn is taking part in a debate on equality and inclusivity on this island. In creating these opportunities through dialogue and trust we can have a prosperous shared future. The establishment of this unit should not be underestimated. It highlights Fianna Fáil's commitment to peace and prosperity on the island. Fianna Fáil is committed to creating an Ireland where we can move forward the unit of our people and our lands.

The shared island unit complements the Good Friday Agreement and will be a positive force in shaping our island as we go forward into the next 100 years. Let us face it: we are stuck together whether we like it or not and we are better off working together. It is no secret that the British Government has repeatedly left down its loyal unionist people in the North and, now, unionists face a leadership difficult. We must reach out to them and let them know that their British identity is safe in a reunited island.

I say no to division and being held back by history and yes to a union of diversity and a union of our island and our people, North and South.