[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 245 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 245

  Expressing the sense of Congress that the settlement of the decades-
   long conflict in the North of Ireland should address a number of 
      specific issues in order to foster a just and lasting peace.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 1998

      Mr. King (for himself, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Manton, Mr. Neal of 
   Massachusetts, and Mr. Walsh) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of Congress that the settlement of the decades-
   long conflict in the North of Ireland should address a number of 
      specific issues in order to foster a just and lasting peace.

Whereas Irish people living in the North of Ireland are entitled to the same 
        full national and democratic rights of Irish citizenship as Irish people 
        living elsewhere in Ireland;
Whereas all people living in the North of Ireland are entitled to receive 
        equality of treatment with one another;
Whereas providing these rights is a prerequisite to any negotiated settlement to 
        the conflict in the North of Ireland;
Whereas providing these rights requires the British Government to act to ensure 
        that these rights are embodied in specific measures of legislation and 
        administration;
Whereas there can be no internal solution to the conflict in the North of 
        Ireland and no return to the Stormont government with its inbuilt 
        Unionist domination and denial of civil rights;
Whereas the nationalist community in the North of Ireland is entitled to 
        significant all-Ireland institutions with cooperative, executive, and 
        advisory powers;
Whereas the Irish Government must be guaranteed a role in all legislative and 
        executive decisions affecting the lives of the people living in the 
        North of Ireland; and
Whereas there is currently a great opportunity for a peaceful resolution of the 
        conflict in the North of Ireland: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the settlement of the decades-
long conflict in the North of Ireland should address the following 
issues within the framework of any negotiated settlement of such 
conflict in order to foster a just and lasting peace:
            (1) All emergency legislation should be repealed.
            (2) Reform of all aspects of the legal system should be 
        established, including reform of civil and criminal law, the 
        judiciary, the conduct of the courts, and the operation of the 
        prison service.
            (3) An accountable and representative police service that 
        is acceptable to both Nationalists and Unionists should be 
        established.
            (4) All forms of discrimination in the North of Ireland 
        should be abolished and explicit, time bound measures to 
        redress existing inequalities should be established.
            (5) Economic justice should become a reality, not merely a 
        promise.
            (6) The equality of the Irish language and culture should 
        be established and maintained.
            (7) All political prisoners of both traditions being held 
        with respect to the conflict in the North of Ireland should be 
        released as soon as possible.
                                 <all>