Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues, I welcome the Bulgarian ambassador. We appreciate the support and solidarity that Bulgaria has given Ireland during the Brexit discussions and we want to extend that friendship. I also welcome the British ambassador and his team. Today is St. David's Day, and one of the countries the ambassador represents is Wales. Unlike Sarah Palin and Russia, I cannot quite see Wales from my house but on a clear day, Wales can be seen from Wexford. It is important in the context of building relationships between the countries on these islands that we explore further the relationship between the constituent nations of Britain and particularly the relationship between Ireland and Wales. I wish everyone a happy St. David's Day. Many close connections between Wexford and Wales are being developed, including new walks linking the saints of Wexford and Wales. They need to be encouraged.

As everyone will be aware, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The members of the younger generation are fortunate not to be aware of the Troubles and that dark period of Irish history. It is an appropriate time to consider the establishment on this island of a museum of the Troubles to tell in a balanced way the story of that dark period of Irish life. It would also allow the victims the opportunity to tell their stories. An initiative in Belfast has been calling for the establishment of a museum of the Troubles. It is important so we can remember and learn from our history and what has happened in the past. It is also important to talk about the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, which was a success of politics. The agreement showed why politics and dialogue are so important. A museum could underpin academic research, act as a centre to encourage peace between the constituent nations of these islands and, most importantly, to remember and learn from what happened in the past.

There are examples in many other countries where there have been dark and difficult chapters. I think of Argentina and Chile. They have been able to tell their stories, particularly the stories of the victims of dark periods. Now that we are 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, we can reflect on that period. In the context of our debates around how we mark the Good Friday Agreement, I ask that we move towards the establishment of a museum of the Troubles, perhaps through the shared island unit.