[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E467-E468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           STATEMENT ON THE PEACE PROCESS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. RICK LAZIO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 1999

  Mr. LAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the ongoing 
peace process in Northern Ireland. For nearly a year now, we have 
walked down a path leading toward the permanent resolution of the more 
than 30 years of acrimony in Northern Ireland. The ``Good Friday Peace 
Agreement'' was hailed internationally as ``the best chance in a 
generation for peace,'' and was passed last April with a remarkable 85 
percent majority. As is often true with any worthwhile endeavor, the 
road to our ultimate goal may not always be smooth, nor direct. It is 
now, however, during this time of uncertainty and difficulty, when 
progress seems painstakingly slow and obstacles appear overwhelming, 
that our efforts should be redoubled. We should take heart in the 
accomplishments of this past year and weigh carefully the actual value 
of realizing a permanent peace before allowing any one stumbling block 
to derail this important process.
  The recognition given to John Hume, head of the SDLP, and David 
Trimble, First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly, in receiving 
the Nobel Peace Prize was a reassuring step toward memorializing the 
extraordinary achievements made by the proponents of peace. We should 
not forget, however, the many other people, without whom this process 
would not have even been possible. Prime Ministers Bertie Ahern and 
Tony Blair, Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein, British Secretary Mo Mowlam and 
many others, on both sides of the issue, as well as the Atlantic, were 
instrumental in propelling the cause of peace in a region weary of 
constant strife. We should also remember the 3,200 people who have lost 
their lives during more than three decades of violence; for their 
memories will serve us well in motivating all people who are concerned, 
as I am, with enhancing the efforts to bring a lasting tranquility to 
Ireland. This Tranquility is of special concern to the people of New 
York, the State for which I hold the honor of representing, as we have 
one of the largest Irish populations outside of their homeland.
  Unfortunately, along with this timely recognition of accomplishment, 
there must also be the increased vigil of those that would attempt to 
destroy the peace process that has been so carefully cultivated. We are 
reminded, yet again, of the cost of not succeeding by the tragedy which 
occurred just days ago, when Mrs. Rosemary Nelson was brutally murdered 
by a loyalist paramilitary group. Mrs. Nelson was an important 
participant in the peace process, an accomplished barrister, and a 
mother of young children. Her murder was a cowardly act that 
illustrates so clearly that the time has long passed for these last few 
violent thugs to heed the demands of the overwhelming majority of their 
countrymen and lay down their arms, once and for all.
  The complexity of the discord in Northern Ireland that has proven so 
baffling to peace seekers for a generation, will not be solved by the 
mere signing of one document. It will only be realized by a thorough 
adherence to and completion of the measures outlined in the

[[Page E468]]

Good Friday Agreement and mandated by the people of Ireland. As the 
first anniversary of the agreement approaches, all sides have the 
opportunity, if not the obligation, to make real progress toward its 
implementation. The paramilitary factions must be demobilized and 
disbanded immediately if there is to be a genuine and lasting peace. 
All parties to the process must now rely on the increased dialogue and 
the new, conciliatory tone of the talks to transform any future 
disagreements from violent altercations into intelligent debate and 
then, hopefully, lasting harmony. A harmony that will one day remove 
the ubiquitous and pernicious words ``The Troubles'' from the 
vernacular of a generation of Irish, both in their homeland and in 
America.

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