[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 31 (Monday, March 20, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E350]]
                           FRIENDS OF IRELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 20, 2000

  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 U.S. Congress is listened to very 
attentively in Ireland both in the Republic and in the North.
  I submit this year's St. Patrick's Day Statement for the Record:

     Statement by the Friends of Ireland--Saint Patrick's Day 2000

       On this first St. Patrick's Day of the new millennium, the 
     Friends of Ireland in the United States Congress join 45 
     million Irish-Americans of both traditions in celebrating the 
     unique bonds between our two nations. We send greetings to 
     the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and warmly welcome 
     the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, on his third St. Patrick's day 
     visit to Washington. We share the hopes of the Irish people 
     that the current impasse in the Northern Ireland peace 
     process will be broken soon.
       We are deeply troubled by the suspension of the 
     democratically elected Government of Northern Ireland by the 
     British Government and the stalemate over decommissioning. We 
     urge all political leaders in the North to recommit 
     themselves to the spirit and letter of the Good Friday 
     Agreement. We have provided strong and consistent support 
     throughout the peace process to all parties committed to 
     peace, and we reaffirm our commitment to the full 
     implementation of the Agreement.
       The Good Friday Agreement was endorsed decisively by the 
     people of Ireland both North and South with majorities from 
     both traditions. It is a mandate given to those working on 
     behalf of peace, justice and the creation of a new beginning 
     in Northern Ireland. Successful implementation is predicated 
     on the concurrent resolution of all the interdependent 
     aspects of the Agreement. The successful implementation of 
     the agreement must be the clear goal for all who want to 
     consolidate the progress that has been made and to avoid the 
     danger of failure for yet another generation in Northern 
     Ireland.
       At this time, the institutions of devolved government are 
     suspended. The suspension was not caused by any failure of 
     the institutions themselves, nor by any violation of the 
     Agreement, but by an internal political crisis focused on the 
     issue of decommissioning. We encourage the political leaders 
     to bridge this crisis of confidence and secure the 
     reinstatement of the institutions as soon as possible. Their 
     absence creates a gap which the enemies of peace can and will 
     exploit. It is vital that they are not permitted to succeed. 
     The ongoing cease-fire are major confidence building 
     measures, and it should be made clear that any return to 
     violence is not an option. We condemn unequivocally all acts 
     of violence.
       We call on all sides to implement additional confidence 
     building measures. Root causes of violence--prejudice, 
     religious intolerance and sectarianism--must also be 
     eliminated. The nationalist and unionist communities must see 
     that politics is working and believe their future can rest 
     with the actions of their democratically elected 
     representatives in the Assembly.
       The issue of confidence in the integrity of the democratic 
     institutions set up under the Good Friday Agreement must not 
     be seen as confined to the agenda of any one side. It is a 
     shared requirement which all have a vital stake in restoring. 
     Each party is committed under the Agreement to ensure the 
     viability and effective operation of the political process 
     pledged in the Agreement by persuading those who hold weapons 
     that such weapons can have no role whatsoever in a democratic 
     system.
       In spite of discouraging setbacks, we believe that a way 
     forward can be found on this difficult issue by building on 
     the progress already made. We welcome the acknowledgment by 
     the IRA that ``the issue of arms needs to be dealt with in an 
     acceptable way and this is a necessary objective of a genuine 
     peace process.'' We also welcome the work in identifying and 
     advancing the context where this goal can most successfully 
     be achieved. We consider a crucial test to be whether the 
     electorate in Northern Ireland can be reassured that their 
     democratic wishes will not be undermined by actual or 
     threatened recourse to guns from any side.
       We believe there is now an acceptance of this fundamental 
     principle across the entire political spectrum which offers a 
     basis for reaching an accommodation, provided the parties 
     approach it in a spirit of reciprocal action, and with 
     sensitivity about the real constraints on each side and the 
     need for skillful and patient management of these 
     constraints. We urge renewed dialogue in this spirit using 
     the Independent Commission headed by General de Chastelain. 
     The paramilitaries must put weapons beyond use and make 
     progress on the decommissioning issue.
       The British Government must reasonably scale down its 
     military presence in the North. We also give particular 
     importance to the timely implementation of the Patten Report, 
     including the urgent appointment of an Oversight Commissioner 
     and assistants, the early publication of a detailed 
     implementation plan, and the speedy passage of legislation. 
     We believe the publication of the Criminal Justice Review 
     should begin a program of significant reforms. We support 
     changes that ensure a police force with representation from 
     both communities and a criminal justice system which will 
     command loyalty from all people living in Northern Ireland. 
     These are the essential ingredients necessary in the creation 
     of a just and peaceful society.
       We also note the importance of moving forward on human 
     rights and equality issues under the Agreement. This includes 
     the creation of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland and the 
     obligation to promote equal opportunity. We emphasize the 
     continuing need to demonstrate public commitment to human 
     rights and accountability through the establishment of 
     independent inquiries into the Finucane, Nelson and Hamill 
     cases.
       We support the initiative taken by the Irish and British 
     Prime Ministers at the beginning of this month to launch a 
     round of intensive consultations to restore the institutions 
     of the Good Friday Agreement and deal with the arms issues as 
     quickly as possible.
       Over this St. Patrick's Day period, we will be urging all 
     the leaders from Northern Ireland to recognize the importance 
     of what is at stake, the danger of delay, and the need for a 
     genuine and sincere collective effort to overcome these last 
     remaining obstacles to the full implementation of the Good 
     Friday Agreement. All Friends of Ireland in the United States 
     stand ready to help in any possible way.


                 FRIENDS OF IRELAND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

                                 HOUSE

     J. Dennis Hastert
     Richard A. Gephardt
     James T. Walsh


                                 SENATE

     Edward M. Kennedy
     Daniel Patrick Moynihan
     Christopher J. Dodd
     Connie Mack

     

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