[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E455-E456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           FRIENDS OF IRELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 1999

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I am 
inviting all my colleagues to become a Friend of Ireland. The Friends 
of Ireland is a bipartisan Congressional organization established in 
1981 by the late Speaker, Thomas ``Tip'' O'Neill. Every successive 
Speaker has carried on the tradition with Speaker Hastert and Minority 
Leader Gephardt serving as honorary Chairmen of the group.
  The purpose of the Friends of Ireland is to increase the bonds of 
friendship and understanding between the American people and the people 
of Ireland. We look for a peaceful solution to the problems of this 
troubled land. Our organization is open to all members of the 106th 
Congress who share its principles and has attracted widespread support 
over the years. There are also several Senators who are members of the 
Friends.
  Over the years, the statements of support for peace in Ireland, 
condemnations of human rights abuses, assistance to the International 
Fund for Ireland and general expressions of goodwill have made a 
difference. The voice of the United States Congress is listened to very 
attentively in Ireland both in the Republic and in the North.
  I would like to share with you this year's St. Patrick's Day 
Statement:

       Statement by the Friends of Ireland St. Patrick's Day 1999

       On this St. Patrick's Day 1999, the friends of Ireland in 
     the United States Congress join with the 44 million Americans 
     of Irish ancestry in commemorating an extraordinary year for 
     the people of the island of Ireland. We are proud of the 
     dramatic progress achieved in last year's Good Friday 
     Agreement. We commend those who contributed to this historic 
     agreement.
       The Agreement is a unique opportunity to end a tragic 
     conflict which has caused needless tragedy and destruction. 
     It holds out the promise of a new beginning, honorable and 
     realistic, for all involved. The Agreement was endorsed 
     decisively by the people in both parts of the island of 
     Ireland as a clear democratic mandate to their political 
     leaders. We call on all those leaders to implement that 
     mandate fully and fairly, and to embrace the opportunity for 
     peace offered by the Agreement with courage, imagination and 
     empathy. History will not deal kindly with those who fail to 
     do so.
       We are pleased to welcome to Washington over the St. 
     Patrick's Day period many of those who were central to the 
     success of the negotiations leading to the Good Friday 
     Agreement. We particularly welcome the Taoiseach, Bertie 
     Ahern, whose outstanding commitment and leadership, both 
     during the negotiations, and in the succeeding months, have 
     been deservedly recognized. We also pay tribute to Prime 
     Minister Tony Blair, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
     Marjorie Mowlam, Minister for Foreign Affairs David Andrews, 
     the leaders of the Northern Ireland political parties, and 
     many other Irish and British Government officials for their 
     courage and determination to reach agreement despite the 
     opposition they faced.
       We congratulate John Hume and David Trimble on the award of 
     the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their efforts for 
     peace. We take pride in the contribution made to the peace 
     process by President Clinton and many other leaders in the 
     United States. We especially salute our former colleague, 
     Senator George Mitchell, for his indispensable leadership, 
     and welcome the recent establishment by the U.S.-Ireland 
     Alliance of the Mitchall Scholarships in his honor. We 
     welcome the generous $3 million contribution of the Irish 
     Government to this scholarship fund, announced by the 
     Taoiseach last September during our President's visit to 
     Ireland. We also welcome the Irish Government's support of 
     the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, through a 
     grant to promote the Festival of Irish Arts, in May 2000.
       Ireland has given to America in many ways, including men to 
     fight our battles from Revolutionary War to Desert Storm. In 
     appreciation for these services, and as a special tribute to 
     12 Irish citizens who gave their lives as members of the U.S. 
     Armed Forces in the Vietnam War, we are pleased to note that 
     the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's traveling wall, called 
     the Wall that Heals, will be making a tour of Ireland from 
     April 16 to May 3 this year.
       This July, we look forward to welcoming the first 4,000 
     young men and women who will enter the United States under 
     special visas provided by the Irish Peace Process and 
     Cultural Training Program Act of 1998. The visa will allow 
     these young adults from both communities an opportunity to 
     experience America's unique blend of cultural diversity and 
     economic prosperity. After their visit, they will return home 
     providing the crucial skill base needed to attract private 
     investment in their local economies. That Congress initiated 
     and passed this visa legislation with unanimous support is 
     evidence of our continuing bipartisan commitment to 
     supporting the Good Friday Agreement.
       We believe the most crucial task now facing the Irish and 
     British Governments and all the political leaders in Northern 
     Ireland is to build momentum for the full implementation of 
     the Agreement. Inevitably, there will be continuing 
     difficulties to surmount in resolving this deep and long-
     standing conflict. We believe the implementation of the 
     Agreement offers the best way forward and the best yardstick 
     to judge the policies and actions of those struggling to 
     overcome these difficulties. We do not believe that the goals 
     of the Agreement can be served by inaction or 
     procrastination in implementing its provisions. Those who 
     take political risks for the implementation of the 
     Agreement can be assured of our consistent support.
       Following last month's decision by the Assembly to approve 
     the designation of the Northern Ireland Departments and the 
     list of cross-border bodies, and the signing last week by the 
     United Kingdom and Ireland of the historic treaties to set up 
     the institutions, it is vital that this decision be 
     implemented without delay. Progress in all of these areas is, 
     of course, dependent on the establishment of the multi-party 
     Executive, as provided in the Agreement. We are dismayed at 
     the delay in establishing the Executive, and urge it be 
     established as soon as possible. It is the best way to create 
     conditions for progress on other difficult issues, including 
     the problem of decommissioning.
       The carnage inflicted on the town of Omagh last August was 
     a grim reminder that, in spite of all that has been achieved,

[[Page E456]]

     there are those who still do not recognize the futility of 
     violence. The cowardly murder of Rosemary Nelson this week 
     reminds of the urgency of the task at hand. The horror of 
     these actions unites all the people of Ireland and Great 
     Britain, and friends of Ireland everywhere, in a 
     determination that such methods will be totally repudiated 
     and will never succeed. We also condemn, in the strongest 
     terms, the practice of sectarian attacks, punishment 
     beatings,and other acts of violence. These actions are a 
     violation of fundamental human rights, and serve only to 
     promote further division and recrimination. Against this 
     background of irresponsible and unacceptable reliance on 
     violence, we commend all those who, notwithstanding the 
     pressures caused by these attacks, refuse to be diverted from 
     the pursuit of peace and political progress.
       We have in the past consistently drawn attention to the 
     importance of developing a police organization in Northern 
     Ireland capable of attracting and sustaining the support of 
     all parts of the community. We welcome the creation of the 
     Patten Commission to propose new arrangements for policing, 
     accountable to and fully representative of the society. A 
     major responsibility rests on the members of the Commission 
     on this vitally important issue. Their mandate from the 
     Agreement should lead to far-reaching change and we look 
     forward to their report later this year.
       We attach particular importance to the provisions in the 
     Good Friday Agreement which promote a new respect for human 
     rights. Such respect is essential if the commitment to 
     equality, which lies at the very heart of the undertaking, is 
     to be given practical effect. We are heartened by progress in 
     relation to the Human Rights Commissions and look forward to 
     the development of close cross-border co-operation on this 
     vital issue. We also hope to see early progress on the review 
     of the criminal laws, and the dismantling of emergency 
     legislation.
       We are concerned by evidence of the lack of protection for 
     lawyers active on human rights cases in Northern Ireland, as 
     described by the Special Rapporteur of the U.N. Commission on 
     Human Rights, and urge an early response to calls for an 
     independent inquiry into the murder of Belfast lawyer Pat 
     Finucane. We will also continue to follow closely the 
     progress of the inquiry into the tragic events of Bloody 
     Sunday in Derry in 1972.
       As preparations for this year's marching season begin, we 
     note with concern that, despite efforts to encourage 
     dialogue, the situation at Drumcree remains disturbing. We 
     call on all involved to uphold the decisions of the Parades 
     Commission.
       The Friends of Ireland welcome the strong support which 
     President Clinton and both parties in Congress have given to 
     the peace process, and to the full implementation of the Good 
     Friday Agreement, including the continuing support for the 
     International Fund for Ireland. We salute the parties on what 
     has been achieved thus far and believe that with commitment 
     and determination, and a readiness to seek accommodation, the 
     remaining differences can be overcome.
       As we prepare to enter the new century, the parties to the 
     Good Friday Agreement have a truly historic opportunity to 
     achieve peace with justice for the benefit of all generations 
     to come. As always, we in the Friends of Ireland stand ready 
     to help in any way we can.
                           Friends of Ireland Executive Committee:
     Dennis H. Hastert,
     Richard A. Gephardt,
     James T. Walsh,
     Edward M. Kennedy,
     Daniel Patrick Moynihan,
     Christopher J. Dodd,
     Connie Mack.

     

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