THE BELFAST AGREEMENT 10 YEARS ON:The outgoing Taoiseach reflects on the efforts and achievements of a momentous decade
THE 10TH of April 1998 was a defining moment in our history. It marked a new beginning - a new era in our country based on peace, partnership and mutual respect.
When I became Taoiseach in 1997 I really felt that the peace process could be revitalised. While I had no illusions about what would be involved, I firmly believed that with goodwill on all sides real progress could be achieved. Tony Blair, whom I met shortly after taking up office, shared this belief.
Of course, we were fortunate that the hard work of our predecessors over previous years allowed us to make progress. Through the collective efforts of all the participants in the process, a fundamental and permanent shift in political engagement in the North took place in the period leading up to the Belfast agreement.
The negotiations were intensive and difficult. Progress was slow and painstaking with each step forward taking immense effort on all sides.
There were many who made vital contributions, notably John Hume and David Trimble - who deservedly won the Nobel Peace Prize - Séamus Mallon, Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and other party leaders. We were deeply indebted to the patient and able chairmanship of Senator George Mitchell and critical interventions from the US president Bill Clinton. We all had to be determined and patient and we stuck to the task at hand even in the most difficult circumstances. It was the determination of many in the face of a situation which sometimes seemed hopeless which has led us to the place we are today.
The strength of the Belfast agreement is that it provided us with a framework that was truly comprehensive.
Before, during and since the agreement, everyone involved have had to take risks, personal and political, for peace. Today with a transformed political and security landscape, with devolved powersharing institutions in place, and a peace which consolidates further with every passing day - it is clear to me that those risks were worthwhile.
Under the agreement we have travelled some significant distance since those momentous events of April, 1998.
The agreement was ratified by the people of Ireland in referendums North and South and we amended our Constitution to reflect a more inclusive modern republican perspective keeping faith with our pluralist tradition.
In the intervening years, there have been many important moments and not a few frustrating ones. But we kept going, always pressing forward in the hope that we could finally settle our age-old quarrel.
Finally, in 2005 we got the breakthrough we needed when the IRA formally ended its armed campaign and decommissioned its weapons. That led to the talks in Scotland and the St Andrews agreement of October 2006. In the subsequent election in Northern Ireland in 2007, the people made clear that they had kept faith with the ideals of 1998 and they wanted local, democratic, powersharing government restored.
I personally will never forget several famous, historic days from last year.
In April, Dr Ian Paisley came to Dublin to meet me and offered me his hand in friendship. Everyone who was there or who heard Dr Paisley speak that day knew that the story of Ireland had changed forever.
On another memorable sunny day in May, we met again at the site of the Battle of the Boyne. Among the guests were Government Ministers from both sides of the Border, local representatives from the area, many members of the Orange Order and representatives from all strands of opinion on this island.
Before that, we had seen the restoration of the institutions on May 8th last in Stormont, when Tony Blair and I were honoured guests of the First and Deputy First Minister, Dr Paisley and Martin McGuinness, as they took office. That day sent a ray of hope across these islands and across the world.
The inclusive power-sharing institutions have been working since then to address the day-to-day concerns of the people. A key moment was the recent agreement on the budget, programme for government and investment strategy for Northern Ireland.
The North-South Ministerial Council and North/South implementation bodies are back working effectively.
We are also continuing to develop the relationship with our nearest neighbour including through the British-Irish Council, established under the Good Friday Agreement to foster East/West links.
The relationship between Britain and Ireland has been transformed. Last year I was honoured to address the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. We now have a shared agenda based on our strong economic and cultural links and our vision for a peaceful, stable future for Northern Ireland.
Since restoration, we have entered a new era in all-island strategic planning. We are getting down to business.
I was proud to lead our ministerial team at the North-South ministerial Council Plenary in July 2007 and again last February, when we had genuinely open and wide-ranging discussions on a wide range of important issues of mutual concern. We have also had 14 North-South Ministerial meetings since September, and we will have several more before the end of April.
There are a range of strategic North-South projects underway. The launch of a single electricity market for the island by Ministers Nigel Dodds and Eamon Ryan is a prime example of how we are working together to the greater benefit of the whole island.
The two administrations also recently reached agreement on the terms of a new Innovation Fund, which Minister Peter Robinson announced in his recent budget statement, and which will include funding for cross-Border research and innovation. The Irish Government will contribute €60 million to this fund. In the areas of health and education we can see great potential for further co-operation to realise greater economies of scale for the services that we provide on this island.
Tourism is another area where we can continue to work together for mutual benefit. There has been dramatic growth in visitor numbers to all parts of the island since 2001 and Tourism Ireland is doing a very effective job in promoting the Island of Ireland in a very competitive market.
Other bodies such as InterTradeIreland are doing important work to promote and develop the all-island economy.
We are working with the Executive to help the people of Derry, Donegal and the surrounding region develop this part of our island through the North-West Gateway Initiative. That is why we are contributing €580 million towards the upgrading of the road to Derry and Letterkenny, as well as the route serving the port of Larne. This is part of an overall effort in the National Development Plan to ensure the wonderful economic potential of the Border region and of North/South co-operation is unleashed.
We are also assisting the Northern Ireland Executive in every way we can as it prepares to re-position Northern Ireland on the global stage ahead of the US Investment Conference next month. We should not ignore the challenges that lie ahead for the North.
The devolution of policing and justice powers to the Assembly and Executive will be a crucial step in the transformation of Northern Ireland. Success here would be yet another important sign of normality and stability in Northern Ireland.
The scourge of sectarianism is still all too evident in Northern Ireland. There are no easy answers, but we must continue to address this problem as energetically as we have tackled all of the others.
Much has been achieved in building positive relationships on all sides - between nationalists and unionists and between North and South. I have no doubt that we will continue to build on these relationships and that they will be central to allowing us to tackle difficult issues in the future.
Ten years ago, Northern Ireland was scarred by heavily militarised barracks and watchtowers, many Border roads remained closed, and there was a very large troop presence across the North.
Today, the physical landscape is transformed, gone is the hardware of conflict, and the remaining troops are confined to barracks. Belfast and Derry and many towns and villages across the North are being regenerated. Tourism is thriving and the true beauty and enormous potential of that part of our island is finally emerging. It is part of an overwhelming process of change for the better, driven by the will of the people to make a better future.
Throughout all of my work for peace, my experience has been that if we challenge ourselves to act generously, other people will respond equally generously.
The recent opening up of Croke Park, the restoration of the site of the Battle of the Boyne and the return to their rightful place in our memory of the Irish dead of the Great War are all examples of what can be achieved when we cast aside the old ways of thinking and open our hearts and minds.
These developments have added lustre and pride to the story of this island. They enrich all our lives.
As I step down shortly from the office of Taoiseach, I hope and pray that the work of reconciliation will continue.
Together, I believe we will all ensure that this unique, beautiful and diverse island remains a happy, peaceful and prosperous place.
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