Brendan Smith urges full implementation of Good Friday Agreement
Brendan Smith called for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and its successor agreements, and urged urgent progress on cross-border economic development and legacy investigations. He said the Protocol must work for Northern Ireland and all of Ireland and called for cooperation to investigate unresolved atrocities.
Good Friday Agreement and successor agreements
Brendan Smith emphasised the mandate given by the Referenda North and South held in May 1998, and called for full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. He also urged implementation of successor accords including St Andrew's Fresh Start, Stormont House and New Decade, New Approach, and said governments and the Northern Ireland Executive must attach greater urgency to agreed actions.
Economic integration and cross-border trade
He highlighted the development of an all-island economy and growth in cross-border trade as one of the Agreement's benefits, noting peace and stability have enabled greater economic integration. He said more can be done to generate cross-border activity and employment, particularly in rural areas and the border region North and South, and that such development requires prioritised infrastructure investment in areas such as Cavan and Monaghan.
Protocol and Brexit adaptation
Brendan Smith described the Protocol in Northern Ireland as providing important safeguards in the context of Brexit and said it must work for Northern Ireland and for all of Ireland. He acknowledged challenges in adapting to the Protocol and called on the EU, governments and statutory agencies to work within the framework, with full engagement between stakeholders to resolve teething problems - urgent for sectors such as agri-food with new requirements taking effect from the 1st of April.
Shared Island Fund and investment
He welcomed the shared island fund of 500 million over five years as a key catalyst to realise the Good Friday Agreement's potential, saying it can help address challenges on an all-Ireland basis and support cross-border initiatives.
Legacy issues and unresolved bombings
Brendan Smith urged a renewed priority for legacy issues, noting many Troubles-related atrocities and deaths remain unresolved and have not been comprehensively addressed. He said perpetrators of heinous crimes, including the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and the Belturbet bombing of December 1972, have never been brought to justice and grieving families have not received the truth. He called for the British government to cooperate fully and ensure thorough, comprehensive investigations.
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We must continually work to ensure the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. We have all been mandated to implement that international agreement through the Referenda North and South which were held in May 1998 and which were overwhelmingly endorsed by the electorate. Equally, successor agreements, St Andrew's Fresh Start, Stormont House, New Decade, New Approach, need to be implemented. The Irish and British Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive are obliged to attach urgency to progressing the issues agreed, an urgency which has sadly been lacking over the years on the part of some of the stakeholders. One of the many benefits from the Good Friday Agreement has been the development of the all-island economy and the huge growth in cross-border trade. Peace and stability has enabled those welcome developments leading to a much greater integration of the economies North and South. There is still so much more that can be done to generate more cross-border economic activity and create much needed employment opportunities particularly in rural Ireland and in the border region North and South. Such economic development must be underpinned by the prioritisation of much needed additional infrastructure investment in areas such as Cavan and Monaghan. The Protocol in Northern Ireland in the context of Brexit provides important safeguards to protect the Good Friday Agreement. We need the protocol to work for Northern Ireland and for all of our Ireland. We have to recognise that there are challenges in adapting to the protocol. The EU, Governments and statutory agencies must all work within the framework to put in place solutions. Full engagement between all stakeholders is needed to deal with teething problems that have arisen. This is particularly urgent for some businesses such as those in the agri-food sector, with new requirements taking effect from the 1st of April. The shared island fund of 500 million over five years is very welcome and will be a key catalyst in helping to realise the potential of the Good Friday Agreement in addressing challenges on an all Ireland basis. Legacy issues need to be given a new priority. Sadly there are so many troubles related atrocities and deaths that have not been comprehensively addressed. The perpetrators of so many heinous crimes including Dublin and Monaghan bombings and the Belturbet bombing of December 1972 have never been brought to justice. Not alone has nobody been brought to justice for these murders but the grieving families have not got the truth in relation to who planned and who carried out such abominable crimes. It is almost 50 years, a half century since some of those crimes took place. So we need in particular with regard to the Dublin Monaghan bombings and the bombing in Belturbet in December 1972, we need the British government to cooperate fully and ensure that there's a thorough and comprehensive investigation into those heinous crimes. Thank you for asking for it.
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