Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

June 21st, the longest day of the year, is a day for the people of Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Great Britain and further afield to reflect on the Troubles and acknowledge the hurt and pain caused by that violence in a positive and inclusive way, whether publicly or privately.

The idea for a Day of Reflection emerged from the Healing through Remembering Report in 2002. Healing through Remembering is an organization my Department’s Reconciliation Fund has been a long-term supporter of, awarding over €400,000 in grant funding since 2012. Healing through Remembering is an organization that seeks to address the legacy of conflict in Northern Ireland through discussions, story-telling networks, commemoration events and exhibitions. In 2021, the Reconciliation Fund provided funding for a programme of activities for the Day of Reflection and in 2022, the Reconciliation Fund providing funding for a Day of Reflections exhibition. Other Reconciliation Fund partners such as WAVE, Corrymeela and the Holy Well Trust have also arranged events and projects where people can come together on the day in an initiative that can benefit all communities and wider society.

Last year, on the Day of Reflection, the Financial Times published an article by me in which I acknowledged the importance of this day, the need for a path to truth and justice for victims and of the need to consider how we achieve true reconciliation on these islands. My predecessors in this role have also supported the Day of Reflection with statements of solidarity and acknowledgment of the hurt and pain caused to victims and their families. The Government were represented by officials from the Irish Secretariat in Belfast at a number of events on the 21 June last year.

Throughout my previous roles and now as Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, I have valued the opportunity to meet with numerous victims' groups, families and survivors of Troubles-related attacks, North and South on the island of Ireland, to hear their views, experiences and concerns.

I will continue to maintain my ongoing engagement with victims' groups from all communities, to take account of their views and maintain their needs at the core of our approach to dealing with the past and achieving true reconciliation. This includes recognizing and respecting the importance of the Day of Reflection on 21 June.