Seanad debates

Friday, 16 July 2021

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

9:30 am

Photo of Vincent P MartinVincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

South Africa is facing some of its greatest challenges since apartheid ended. Ireland has strong links with South Africa. It is great to see the South African cricketers playing in Ireland now. I wish the British and Irish Lions rugby team well during its trip to South Africa. It is the “British and Irish Lions” and not just the “British Lions”. This is an example of how our two islands have come together under a sporting banner and displayed all that is good and positive in our celebration of commonalities.

Having said that, I received a communication of great concern yesterday from a person in my area. It reads:

Thank you for taking the time to read my email. I am reaching out to you as a thankful South African who has had the privilege of living in beautiful Clane for almost two years.

Today I address you on behalf of the South African community whose very Constitution and Bill of Rights was drafted in Dublin some twenty years ago.

The situation in South Africa is [currently] volatile and desperate, streets are littered with the remnants of looting and the mayhem that has taken place since Sunday across parts of [our beautiful] country.

Factories have been burnt to the ground and food supply chains have been cut.

The police and army are not equipped to deal with the current lawlessness.

Whilst the smouldering buildings have captured the skylines, South Africans from all walks of life are standing shoulder to shoulder to protect their communities and what is left of the economy.

The next couple of days is crucial and will cement South Africa’s future.

My hope is to spread the word about what is really going on, it is not racially motivated but a political attempt to overthrow the current government, to avoid the prosecution of corrupt officials who [have], at long last, [been] brought to book.

Sadly the communities that will be most affected are the...communities who have fought so tirelessly for democracy.

Please [please] can you shine a light on this issue.

I am very pleased and honoured to shine a light on those concerns. We have a great deal in common with South Africa. My uncle, Fr. Gabriel Finnegan, is one of the many priests from this country who have continued to devote most of their adult lives to South Africa, including during those difficult days of apartheid. I am shining a light, therefore, on something which has not received the publicity it ought to have.

Turning to another subject, I read with delight that:

Fine Gael is expected to open a Northern Ireland branch by [the] autumn and will try to find common ground with other “moderate” political parties in the region. [This] move comes after a motion was passed at [its] ard fheis...Dublin Rathdown TD Neale Richmond said the party’s move would “widen Fine Gael’s political role” across the island. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve had a proactive [presence in] Northern Ireland...which has really bought into the shared island initiative”.

I would never tell other parties what to do. When a party makes a move like that, however, for the normalisation of politics I commend it as a public representative. Well done to Fine Gael for taking that step. I believe the future of Northern Ireland is in the middle. The moderate voice will grow and will win someday.

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