Address to Seanad Éireann by US Congressman Richard Neal

An Cathaoirleach

Cuirim fáilte roimh an cathaoirleach of the Congressional Friends of Ireland and of the Ways and Means Committee in the US House of Representatives from the great state of Massachusetts via Ballyferriter, Congressman Richard Neal. I welcome the United States ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Claire Cronin. I also welcome the congressional delegation, Congressman Kevin Brady from Texas, the co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Ireland, Congressman Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania, Congressman Dan Kildee from Michigan, Congressman David Joyce from Ohio, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon from Pennsylvania, Congressman Vern Buchanan from Florida, Congressman Mike Doyle from Pennsylvania and Congressman Ron Kind from Wisconsin.

On this, the 100th anniversary of Seanad Éireann, I welcome Congressman Neal, the first ever Member of the United States Congress to address this House in our 100-year history. In the words of one of our Senators, from that first great Senate, W.B. Yeats, "There are no strangers here, only friends you haven't met yet." Congressman Neal you are no stranger to Ireland and I know you will leave our shores with many more friends.

The support for Ireland from the United States of America is well known. The United States was there for Ireland 100 years ago during our struggle for independence. The only country referred to by name other than Ireland in the 1916 Proclamation is the United States, where it says, "supported by her exiled children in America". The United States of America was there for Ireland just under a quarter of a century ago during the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement. The United States is still there for us now as we deal with the challenges of Brexit and the threat it poses to the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process. Congressman Richie Neal is the embodiment of that support for Ireland in the United States.

As the United States has been there for Ireland in our hour of need, Ireland was there for America in its hour of need. George Washington, the leader of the American Revolution, acknowledged that in his Continental Army, over a quarter of his soldiers had Irish heritage. He said of them, "Ireland, thou friend of my country in my most friendless days." When America finally prevailed in that most bloody struggle for independence, Lord Mountjoy admitted to the British Parliament that it had lost America through the Irish. In 2026, on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence of which nine signatories had Irish heritage, we look forward to celebrating with all Americans that document which not only inspired the world but changed the world and is still changing the world.

Congressman Richie Neal was first elected to the city council in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1978 and became mayor of Springfield in 1984. As we all know from the words of another great Irish American politician, all politics is local. Congressman Neal has the honour of hailing from County Kerry. Like many in Springfield, his connections are in west Kerry, which his grandmother left to make a new life in America. Congressman Neal was elected to the House of Representatives in 1989 and I am glad to say that the people of Massachusetts have chosen wisely to keep electing him to Congress.

Congressman Neal and many others were involved in the search for peace long before the Good Friday Agreement. He was involved in the search for peace when it was unimaginable. Congressman Neal's involvement and contribution have not only been extraordinary, they have been vital. In his position as chair of the Ways and Means Committee, the committee which will decide any future trade agreement between the United States of America and the United Kingdom, Congressman Neal has been consistent in telling the UK Government that there will be no trade agreement between the United States and the UK if anything the British do undermines the Good Friday Agreement or the peace process on this island.

On a personal level, Congressman Neal and I have worked on a number of projects together, some small and some quite large, including when in 2016, Congressman Neal installed a garden of remembrance in his home city of Springfield. The garden of remembrance initiative was a concept supported by the all-party consultation group on the decade of commemorations. Those gardens honour the service and sacrifice of the men and women who fought for the ideals of the 1916 Proclamation. The garden of remembrance in Springfield was the first installed outside Ireland and is one of 365 gardens installed that year.

Congressman Neal was also involved in another project to get a replica of the 1916 Proclamation installed inside the Washington Monument. As an indication of how big an achievement that was, only 16 countries have plaques inside the Washington Monument and the last time permission was given to install a plaque inside the Washington Monument was when Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959. All other requests made since have been refused. Yesterday in the GPO, the Congressman unveiled a plaque, a replica of the one inside the Washington Monument. Having worked with Congressman Neal and the Congressional Friends of Ireland, I am proud to say that now among the immortal words written in stone in monuments throughout Washington DC are the words, "Irishmen and Irishwomen".

The project I am most proud of was working with Congressman Neal on the establishment of the American Irish State Legislators Caucus. In the Congressman's own words, this is an initiative in "building the bench", which is a baseball term, meaning ensuring having more players than will ever be needed. He and we want to exchange Irish American influence at all levels of government.

Just before St. Patrick's Day last year, Congressman Neal was the guest of honour at the 40th anniversary celebration of the American-Irish Legislators Society of New York, one of four such caucuses throughout the United States at the time. We worked together on building the American Irish State Legislators Caucus across the United States. There is now leadership in all 50 states. The official launch took place last October in the Round Room of the Mansion House, where Irish democracy took its first steps. On that occasion there were state senate presidents and majority leaders from 27 US states to launch that caucus. Like the Congressional Friends of Ireland in Washington, the American Irish State Legislators Caucus is a bipartisan organisation, which is open to everybody: those who have Irish heritage and those who are supporters of Ireland. The American Irish State Legislators Caucus will ensure as legislators go from state legislators to Members of Congress and to members of the Congressional Friends of Ireland, that they are aware of the issues around the peace process, the issues in Ireland, and the issues affecting the Good Friday Agreement.

Last year we saw the 40th anniversary of the Congressional Friends of Ireland. I can think of no one better than Congressman Richie Neal to lead that vital organisation at this moment in history. Congressman Neal is carrying on a tradition of the work of great Irish Americans who have gone before him; those who founded the Congressional Friends of Ireland. It is appropriate that we remember them at this time: Senator Edward Kennedy, Governor Hugh Carey, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Speaker Tip O'Neill. I am honoured to ask my good friend, and a great friend of Ireland, Congressman Richie Neal to address Seanad Éireann.

Mr. Richard Neal

Let me begin by thanking the Seanad for this generous invitation. This is the rarest of opportunities that a person from another country might get to enjoy. I thank the Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, in particular for, as he described, his work with legislative bodies across the country so that we may well create the next generation of the Friends of Ireland. We are reminded on this occasion of why the Friends of Ireland was brought about. We agreed to stop the gun running in America in places like the cities we all come from such as Boston, Springfield, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Pittsburgh, and the UK decided to get serious about finding a solution to the North.

When on 2 February, 1880, the great Irish nationalist parliamentarian, Charles Stewart Parnell, took to his feet in the United States Capitol to address the joint Houses of Congress, he became one of the first non-American political leaders to be granted this rare honour. This moment reflected the special ties that bound Ireland and America at a time when the Irish-born population of the United States was at its peak. In thanking the people of America for their unyielding support for Ireland, Parnell expressed pride in his American heritage, which was acquired through his mother. I stand here today as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, imbued with a deep sense of pride in my heritage, brought forward from forebears who crossed the Atlantic to make new lives for themselves on our continent. Not to mention, incidentally, the first chairman of the Ways and Means Committee was named Fitzsimons and he was an Irish immigrant. In the decades following Ireland's Great Hunger, millions of Irish immigrants transformed America. Lifting shovels, bringing down hammers, and building canals, they helped to make America a world power. In return, Irish immigrants and their descendants helped to take Ireland on its way to independence.

Parnell was not the only Irish public figure to make his way to America in the decades prior to the emergence of the Irish Free State, the centenary of which we mark this year with all of you. Douglas Hyde, who went on to become the first President of Ireland, visited my home place of Springfield where he described one of the Irish-speaking hosts as the finest Irishman he had encountered anywhere. On the first page of Fintan O'Toole's new book, on page one, he mentions the people of Springfield. Yesterday, we relived that opportunity on the Blasket Islands. In my constituency there is one person still living who had lived on the Blaskets. Our visitors today from the congressional delegation, Representatives Kevin Brady, Ron Kind, Mike Kelly, Mike Doyle, David Joyce, Mary Gay Scanlon, Dan Kildee and Vern Buchanan are only removed by one or two generations from this island.

My colleagues on the congressional delegation and I are delighted to be back in Ireland to reconnect with friends and relatives after a difficult couple of years with the pandemic disrupting all of our lives. It was a joy to have been with the Taoiseach in Washington, as it was again yesterday, for a meeting that lasted more than an hour to discuss the challenges we now confront again. It was a bold moment for such a small country to receive an audience on St. Patrick's Day with the President of the United States, Members of the Houses of Congress and to be at the centre of the American stage.

I am joined this week by these Members of Congress who have a long-standing commitment to deepening the ties between our two countries and protecting the precious peace that our country helped supply the background for 24 years ago. I know something about that agreement. I helped to urge Bill Clinton and George Mitchell to take it up and it has been successful beyond anybody's imagination.

Just as Parnell in 1880 paid tribute to Americans for their support for Ireland, let me acknowledge and pass on congratulations for Ireland's unwavering stance on Ukraine. Ireland has pushed back hard on Russia's brutal aggression, supported unprecedented stiff sanctions and extensive EU military assistance to Ukraine. I know Ireland has also given shelter to almost 30,000 Ukrainians who have fled their war-torn homeland. Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine has served to underline and reinforce the democratic values that unite Americans and Europeans who now stand together in determined opposition to the tyranny unleashed by Putin's Russia. In Brussels, we heard the same message. The Europeans intend to stand with America and our allies across the globe to push back on this challenge.

As we convene here today in this marvellous setting, I recognise that this worrying and uncertain time also occurs in Northern Ireland. We are here to listen to the views of political leaders in Dublin and tomorrow we move on to Belfast for two very serious days with all the political parties. We want to meet with people so that we can understand how the fallout from the UK's decision to leave the EU has affected all of them and us. The message we will bring is firm, clear and unambiguous. The number one priority for the United States on this island is to ensure that the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland is preserved and reinforced. It was apparent to us during our visit to Brussels that the EU and Ireland's neighbours in Europe remain equally strong in their commitment to Northern Ireland. They have time and again demonstrated their support for the Good Friday Agreement, as have all the parties in the Irish Republic, unreservedly. I am pleased that Ireland continues its engagement.

While I of course respect the UK's decision to leave the European Union, it has inevitably posed unprecedented challenges for the island of Ireland. I hope we can all focus on this because I think we are losing institutional memory in the UK. A grim reminder is that 30 years ago there were 30,000 British soldiers in an area the size of our state of Connecticut. Anybody who travelled there knew clearly what the watchtowers meant and what the Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC, meant in that small geographic area. The longest standing political dispute in the history of the western world was proceeding unabated in the Six Counties of Northern Ireland.

Through good work and goodwill, we helped to find a path forward. We have found solutions time and again to short-term disruptions. Now it is the protocol. A solution through an extended set of negotiations on Northern Ireland and Ireland can be enhanced. Any incautious move to undo the protocol, which was agreed to by all sides to address these issues, would put at risk this durable agreement that we helped to create and which now we should all be celebrating. On the eve of the 25th year of the Good Friday Agreement, everything in our power to protect the unrelenting gains should be acknowledged. In the context of the moment, the way forward is the same as it has been. We need courage, dialogue and leadership from all sides to keep Northern Ireland secure and prosperous. The Good Friday Agreement worked because it had something in it for all sides. It happened because those involved acted together in good faith and the hardest men and women had to make that agreement. Everybody gave up something to agree to this place. The Republic of Ireland relinquished Articles 2 and 3 of its Constitution, which laid claim, at the request of de Valera, to the North. The UK gave up the Border. The world was a witness to these proceedings. Unilateral actions, intransigence and ultimatums are not solutions, nor have they ever been. America will continue to nudge and nurture this agreement. After all, the Good Friday Agreement is America's too.

I have no doubt that my ancestors, who instilled a deep and emotional connection to this country, would be proud of the Ireland we have seen this week. A strong, prosperous and confident Ireland has firmly found its place on the world stage and used its voice, as always, to stand up for the less fortunate. While Ireland has been remade in recent decades as an open, tolerant and prosperous country, our immigrant ancestors would be heartened to see that its traditional character and distinctive identity remain intact. The welcome Ireland has extended to the Ukrainians confirms, through solidarity and compassion, that the people of Ireland have not forgotten our own history. Leaving one's homeland is a deeply painful experience. For those who depart the communities that were left behind, Irish America carries the memory of that experience. However, the past does not define us. What defines us is how we and so many other immigrant communities have helped to build America and make it the great country it is today.

Representative democracy does not have to mean uniformity. From the skyscrapers of Manhattan to the mines of Montana, our nation's infrastructure bears an indelible Irish imprint. That Irish influence is felt in many parts of American life, including in politics, business, education, media and, of course, law enforcement. Those are just a few of the areas in which Irish Americans have excelled. The heritage of this congressional delegation, as I noted earlier, along with that of President Biden, epitomises the Irish contribution to government in America. They made that journey across the Atlantic. Families such as the Finnegans, the Blewitts, the Kennedys, the Garveys, the Wards, the Harts and the Neals could scarcely have imagined what an impact their descendants would make in their adopted land.

In the years leading up to 1922, many of my predecessors in Congress did their utmost to advance the Irish question at the highest levels of the United States Government. In the century since Ireland's independence, this tradition of Irish-American concern for Ireland has been maintained. Successive generations of Irish-American political leaders have stood by Ireland in good times and troubled ones. Irish-Americans were instrumental in encouraging the US involvement in Northern Ireland throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The great man John Hume visited America to say it was worth it. His visits helped to shape that success story. It created a very important condition for peace in Northern Ireland: the American dimension. That push led to the founding of the Friends of Ireland 40 years ago. The Friends and I have the honour of co-chairing the unique bipartisan support for the Good Friday Agreement that has flowed from it. Half of our delegation are Republicans and the other half are Democrats. At a time when it is hard for us to find agreement on a lot of issues, we have found agreement, as always, on Ireland. We introduced a credible and independent voice that helped to pave the way for the Good Friday Agreement. I am proud that much of my career in foreign policy has been based upon my interest in this achievement. One of my first speeches in the House of Representatives, a few years ago, condemned the use of rubber bullets in the North of Ireland. My own heritage compelled me to do what I could but many of the people I represent in Springfield would tell the same story. It was that story for all of our Congress Members who were trying to conjure up a path to peace that was bolstered by American communities all over the countries and who kept the fortunes of Ireland close to their hearts and at the top of their minds.

Our visit here is part of that tradition. As before, representatives from both sides of the aisle are putting their differences aside to help bridge the gaps between the communities on this island. We are here to listen, to speak and to bring the message to and from Washington that peace needs undying commitment and dedication to achieving positive outcomes. We know how important the United States has been in helping the parties in the North carve out a path to a better future for all. We are committed to staying the course and keeping the North on that path of peace and prosperity.

I look forward, in the next two days, to visiting once again the old Border. I have been involved for so long that I can remember the dark days. I recall crossing that Border either in 1989 or 1990 with the then Speaker of the House, Tom Foley, from Donegal to Derry. Our bus was stopped by a British Army patrol and we were obliged to wait in the vehicle while it was subjected to a thorough search by armed soldiers with night vision equipment and heavy armaments. I have far fonder memories of crossing that Border with Speaker Pelosi in 2019. When we moved across the Border from Derry to Donegal and back again, to make the moment, our phones pinged. That tells the story. The contrast between then and now could not have been starker.

No one wants to return to a time when a Border control across the island divided its people. That is why the EU-UK protocol is so important and why its implementation needs to be the subject of a negotiated agreement and not unilateral action.

Senators

Hear, hear.

Mr. Richard Neal

The principle of consent does not mean veto.

I have been excited to learn more this week about the Irish Government's shared island initiative, which we discussed this morning with President Higgins. It reflects an understanding that all communities and traditions on the island have a chance to work together to build a consensus for a shared future. That is the way forward. We cannot allow the fallout from Brexit to divert Ireland from the path of peace and progress, and we must not allow the clock to be turned back. The United States will continue to be the reliable friend it always has been to Ireland and to have a strong stake in the rich legacy of the Good Friday Agreement that Ireland, along with the US, helped to secure. We intend not to let it go awry. We have work to do in protecting and reinforcing the peace in Northern Ireland that has existed for the last 25 years. As always, we need to work together - the US, Ireland, Britain, the EU and the people of Northern Ireland and their political representatives - to find a space where the planter and the Gael might live in harmony, where instead of two communities there is one community with two traditions.

The legacy issue should not be allowed to get in the way of what families need to know about what really happened.

Senators

Hear, hear.

Mr. Richard Neal

That is a very important consideration. When they come to Washington, we meet with all of the families regardless of their tradition. There was enough pain inflicted by one side and the other and those families need closure in their lives.

Senators

Hear, hear.

Mr. Richard Neal

Whether it was the Guildford case or Bloody Sunday - I talked to those families on the day that then British Prime Minister David Cameron apologised on the floor of the House of Commons - or whether it was Birmingham or the Raymond McCord case, campaigners on which have been to my office to ask that America intervene on behalf of his son, we need to know, along with the Finucane family as well.

I thank Senator Daly for the invitation he extended but as he lobbies, he always brings these issues up as well. Let me personally conclude with something I have thought a lot about. But for the rhythms of history, I might be sitting where Senator Daly is today, representing County Kerry, Ireland. Knowing all of the Senators here and what happens in America, a lot of them would be sitting in Congress, I know that. Together, we celebrate an ancient culture whose devotion to learning, always acknowledging that words matter, and with a special regard for the printed and spoken word, helped to lift the aspirations of millions of descendants of this island. The Gaels might have moved west but they took with them the values and resolve that people like today's Senators taught in earlier generations. Anniversaries are very important in Irish history, more so as we commemorate the centenary of the Irish Republic.

We also applaud a very small country that has given so much to world civilisation. Any anthology offers competing narratives but through conquest, subjugation, occupation, famine, risings, revolutions and civil war, there was always an unbreakable spirit marked by optimism. For such a country to have produced James Joyce, on the 100th anniversary of Ulysses, the great writers, the monks who saved the ancient scrolls in the Dark Ages, as well as contributions to art, music, literature, theatre and civilisation is remarkable. In the diaspora, we never forget the candle in the window of the President's residence that we witnessed again this morning and that always welcomes back the emigrants. Yeats simply described it as the "indomitable Irishry". I would remind all, as Yeats did, that "Though the leaves are many, the root is one". Thank you from the United States of America.

An Cathaoirleach

Thank you, Congressman. I would like to inform the House that that was the longest-standing ovation anyone has received in my time in this House. Thank you for your thoughtful contribution and your quote from a great Senator who led us 100 years ago, W.B Yeats, as you concluded your remarks. Each of the group leaders will now make a contribution and then we will have some concluding remarks from Congressman Neal. I call on the Leader of the House, Senator Doherty.

Senator Regina Doherty

In the presence of Ambassador Cronin and former Ministers Charlie Flanagan and Noel Dempsey, I would like to wholeheartedly welcome Congressman Neal and all of the distinguished guests that we have here today. We are really proud to have him as a visitor to our shores but I know it is not the first time; he has been here many times. Protecting the peace on our island is such an important issue to all of us, not least to Congressman Neal. We can very easily say that he is a true friend of Ireland and I thank him for his time today.

The Friends of Ireland group is particularly special. It is a bipartisan group, with members from the Democrats and the Republicans. Its members and their forerunners have really demonstrated their love for Ireland and their commitment to maintaining the peace and prosperity that we have enjoyed on this island and that is really important. As the Cathaoirleach mentioned earlier, the group was founded by Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Daniel Moynihan and Speaker Tip O'Neill. They all famously played their part from Washington in crafting the peace accords that led not only to the Anglo-Irish Agreement but also to the Good Friday Agreement. I cannot tell Congressman Neal how important it is to hear him say that the Good Friday Agreement belongs to America too and does not just belong to Ireland. I thank him for that.

We all know how important and monumental the Good Friday Agreement is, and was, in ending violence and bringing about lasting peace and ultimately in providing hope to our younger generations that the society they would grow up in and raise their families would be much better than heretofore. We are all very familiar with Ms Lisa McGee's enormously successful "Derry Girls", which, I believe, has made its way across the pond, which is great. The final episode aired last week and it focused on the referendum and the Good Friday Agreement. The peace now enjoyed in Northern Ireland was hard fought and was not easily won. Remarkably, through this television series, new generations, including my own children, as well as people in Great Britain, the United States and across the world, are learning just how valuable the peace process was and continues to be. That is why we must ensure it is protected. The importance of defending that peace, as well as the institutions in Northern Ireland can never be overstated. We must all ensure that neither it nor the protocol which preserves its progress are undermined or discarded. In the spirit of those who came before us, people like the late John Hume, David Trimble, President Clinton and George Mitchell, we are really hopeful that progress can be made through dialogue and negotiation.

As we welcome Congressman Neal and his delegation here today, we cannot forget that the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is going through its second reading in Westminster. That legislation serves absolutely nobody. It is a Bill which refers to reconciliation but it leaves its victims out in the cold. That is a real pity.

Neither Congressman Neal nor his colleagues are strangers to these sentiments. He knows what is at stake and knows from his experience what must be done. That is why he is here, as a well and true friend of Ireland. Once again, on behalf of this House and all my colleagues, I thank him for a lifetime of commitment to his former home. He will always be welcome.

Senator Lisa Chambers

Congressman Neal is most welcome to the Seanad. On behalf of Fianna Fáil, I extend a céad míle fáilte to him on the momentous occasion of his significant address to the House at a time when we need his support.

As Congressman Neal will be aware, his address will have been watched and viewed by many, not just on this island but further afield. In 2016, when the Brexit referendum took place, and we all assumed it would go a different way, I am sure we recall how we felt when the result of that vote finally came through. We knew the change would be seismic and significant, and that we had a long road ahead of us as a country. At that time, the US rowed in behind Ireland, as did other EU member states. Make no bones about it, that left the UK under no illusion as to what that meant for us. The US ensured that we, as a small country, would not be bullied and left behind in what was going to be a significant change for us.

We have been through a lot in this process. It has been six years. During that time, we found ourselves with a negotiated agreement and an international treaty that was signed up to by the United Kingdom. Part of that included the Northern Ireland protocol. It is worth remembering that was the result of years of detailed and extensive negotiations by those on all sides in a process which, as I have stated previously, everybody went into with eyes wide open. They knew exactly what was being agreed and, because of that, I take great offence and absolutely reject the suggestion by the United Kingdom that it signed up to what was agreed under duress. That is simply not the fact, not the truth and it is not correct.

Congressman Neal gave us the great honour and privilege of addressing the Seanad Brexit committee in December 2020. He was one of that committee's first witnesses. His comments were significant and made a major difference to the negotiations that were well under way at that point and that remain ongoing. During that address, he stated: "a trade agreement without the support of the Chairman of the US Congressional Committee on Ways and Means [Congressman Neal] and the Speaker of the House [Nancy Pelosi] is just not something that can happen." He could not have been clearer and that was a very strong statement to make at that time. He went on to say that "a bilateral trade relationship with the United States and the UK is desirable - it would be good for both sides - but not at the expense of jeopardising the Good Friday Agreement." Again, he could not have been clearer. That was a significant statement.

Congressman Neal also said that he often heard people refer to there being two communities, but that he always pointed out there is one community and two traditions. He always trod very carefully. I am always struck by his passion for Northern Ireland and for Ireland, and by his depth of knowledge of the issues facing this island. He said we must "lead by the power of our example, not the example of our power". He was quoting former President Bill Clinton when he made those comments. That is a very strong message to send out to those who are at the negotiating table today. There is a major responsibility on his shoulders to ensure that we do not jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement and that we maintain good relations - North-South, east-west and between the UK, Ireland and the European Union.

I will also quote former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern when he recounted his experiences negotiating the Good Friday Agreement. He said we also needed a new ethos, "an ethos of tolerance, reconciliation, equality and mutual respect - to underpin the agreement". Those words ring true again today. We need those same things to underpin this new agreement between the UK and the European Union. Congressman Neal alluded to this in stating that concluding the Good Friday Agreement involved difficult choices for the negotiators in having to accept unpalatable elements of the agreement in recognition of their importance to others. The point he made about all sides giving up something significant to get that agreement showed the power of politics and the power of compromise. There is nothing to be ashamed about in compromising, reaching agreement and in everybody giving a little.

If I could give one message to Congressman Neal while he is in the Chamber, it is to keep doing what he is doing in continuing to support Ireland's cause in the Brexit negotiation. I have a message for those who are at that negotiating table today: we want an agreement, we want compromise and we want flexibility. I say that not just to those parties in Northern Ireland and the UK, but to the EU as well. It is important that those on all sides are flexible and are ready and willing to compromise.

Senator Rónán Mullen

Cuirim fáilte is fiche roimh Richard Neal. Is ócáid iontach é i gcónaí nuair a thagann teachtaí ó na Stáit Aontaithe chuig an tír seo. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil siad anseo inniu agus cuirim fáilte rompu uilig. Gabhaim buíochas leo as an méid atá á dhéanamh acu ar son na tíre seo. I am very happy to welcome Congressman Neal. It is always a special occasion when we welcome American politicians to this country. We are so grateful for all that America is and all it continues to do, in particular to advance and continue the important work of the peace process. Others have spoken about the important issues facing us at present and I echo everything they have said. I will take this opportunity on behalf of the Seanad Independent Group to thank him and the other members of the Congressional Friends of Ireland present today and at home for all they are doing and to wish them continued success in their efforts on our behalf.

It is perhaps a measure of America's greatness, and the importance of the familial ties between our countries, that we in Ireland feel we have a stake in America and feel ready to criticise it at times as well as to praise it. There are those who criticise America very unreasonably and seem to forget what the world would be like without it. There is then the criticism that comes from friends because it is a measure of true friendship that one can be constructive in one's criticism at times. I think of that wonderful song "America the Beautiful" by Katherine Lee Bates:

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

I think about that in these days because we need a strong America in the world, an America that is a shining city on the hill, and a beacon for democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and civility in political debate. All these things are highly important, especially now at a time when we see where the other superpowers in the world are going. We all need to hope that America finds its balance so it can give the leadership in the world we need at this time.

I have to tell Congressman Neal that many people here, and I am sure many in his country, are distressed by the disunity we sometimes see there now, such as the coarseness that has entered US politics in recent years, the violent protests of 6 January and the 476 riots that took place in the context of the Black Lives Matter protests and, indeed, the recent protests at the homes of justices of the US Supreme Court. We need a strong America. We need an America giving leadership in the world where this does not happen because others will point to America's flaws and use that to justify their far greater depredations on humanity. We encourage Congressman Neal as he gives leadership. We can also say many of us respect the diversity in US debate. There is sometimes a groupthink in this country and in Europe. There is a balance to be struck between groupthink, on the one hand, and excessive discord, on the other, we might say.

I will conclude by asking Congressman Neal to take one thing home with him. He will have heard it from others. It is not to do with Northern Ireland. As we think about the conflict in Ukraine, we are facing into a frightening situation if the grain Ukraine is producing that is so vital for the poorest and the poorer countries in the world does not get out of that country in the coming weeks. I do not know how that is to be solved, but I pray that America can use its position of great power to try to help find a solution so we are not facing appalling hunger and starvation in the Middle East and in places such as Egypt, north Africa and south-east Asia. We ask Congressman Neal and his colleagues not just to take our Irish agenda, which they are all serving so nobly and well, but to remember that situation as well. I know I say that on behalf of their people as much as our own.

Senator Vincent P. Martin

The Irish Republic is proudly an independent sovereign state, having won its freedom after centuries of struggle and at great cost. We are also, however, proudly European, dating back not just to our accession to what is now known as the EU. For over 1,500 years Ireland has contributed enormously to the security and culture of western civilisation. The long title of a book by Thomas Cahill sums it up very well: How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe.

It has been well documented that the majority of people in Northern Ireland are against Brexit. They do not want to ditch the protocol. It is worrying to recall what I hope is an extreme example of the British Government's attitude to Ireland. Some time ago a current member of the British Government was reported to have said that if Ireland did not do what the British wanted, Britain would cut off food supplies to Ireland. That caused grave offence. During the Great Famine our then so-called masters totally mishandled and mismanaged an unspeakable tragedy. British unilateral and mismanaged action cannot and must not be allowed to collapse the peace process.

While France, Spain and others have come to Ireland's aid over the centuries, our special, unique relationship with America is, with respect, on a different level. The contribution of America to creating the Good Friday peace agreement was pivotal. It has saved countless lives, and for that we are forever grateful. American politicians such as the Clintons, the Kennedys, Mitchell, President Biden, Kerry, Morrison, Moynihan, Foley, Pelosi, Boyle, Peter King and Tip O'Neill, to name but a few, are legends, forever etched in the minds of our gratitude. I am not forgetting the contribution of a young congressman from Massachusetts, elected a decade before the historic Good Friday Agreement, one Richard E. Neal. President Lincoln said that, in the end, it is not the years in your life that count but the life in your years. Congressman Neal's life makes us in Ireland proud of his honest stewardship and unwavering courage.

Some of my ancestors, like so many millions, took refuge in the wonderful United States of America. Many of them took up sport, including boxing. My grand-uncle, Vincent "Pepper" Martin, in one of the bouts he won was floored in an early round. I am glad to report that the following day, in the New York papers, the caption under the photo that had him on the floor stated that he was down but that it was far from a knockout. We in Ireland are politically down but far from a knockout. The baton of American peace guarantors has been passed on to the next generation, including Congressman Neal's dedicated delegation, which includes the surnames Doyle, Brady, Buchanan, Kelly, Scanlon, Neal, Kind, Kildee and Joyce. No, they are not togging out for an all-Ireland final. They have a different challenge on a different level. They have a gigantic challenge. We wish them well with the greatest hope, respect and gratitude.

Irish America, we need your help again. Thank you for your continued efforts to rescue, to save and to protect the precious peace. Please continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with us, north and south, east and west, all denominations and none. Please help us to do our utmost to ensure that the current scarce commodities of common sense, fairness and respect for the rule of law can be found and nurtured in order to help navigate our people through this most difficult time.

Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile

Cuirim fáilte is fiche roimh an Comhalta Néill agus an toscaireacht atá linn ó na Stáit Aontaithe. Tá céad míle fáilte rompu go léir. Congressman Neal and his delegation and our other distinguished guests are all very welcome. The great strength of Seanad Éireann is that they will not have to wait until tomorrow to hear a Belfast or Six Counties voice and perspective on the latest events. It is for that reason that I hope Congressman Neal and the Chair will forgive me if I go just a little over time.

For the past 177 years there has been a special relationship between the people of Ireland and the people of the US, especially the Irish diaspora. That special relationship, person to person, family to family, county to county, was forged in the cauldron of an Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger, in the 1840s, a deliberate and cataclysmic consequence of British Government colonial policy. The Famine caused the deaths of 1 million people and the forced exile of another 2 million people. The effect of that was a defining moment in the development of Ireland. It spurred on a century-long population decline, devastated the Irish language and changed the country's demographic, political and cultural landscape. On the banks of the River Liffey, not far from here, there is a raw and emotional depiction of a destitute, starving family on its way to board a coffin ship in search of a new and prosperous life overseas. Denied such a life here, those who left never forgot the land of their birth.

While the image of that family on the banks of the Liffey is one of destitution, there is another story attached to that family. It is a heroic story, emblematic of Ireland's long struggle for nationhood, because those who survived the coffin ships and disembarked in the US became a bedrock on which generations of republicans and nationalists organised at home and in the USA for Ireland's freedom. Without that bedrock of support, the Land League would not have succeeded, the 1916 Rising and the Tan War would not have occurred, this State would not have been established and the republican resistance in the North would not have been sustained. The IRA ceasefire, the loyalist ceasefires, the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, in part, all owe their existence and durability to the direct involvement of the Irish diaspora and successive US presidents and administrations. None of the above would have been achieved without the bipartisan policy of successive administrations, and we thank them all for that support.

Much of the Irish diaspora supported Bill Clinton's election campaign and, in return, he took an active interest in Ireland. Following his election, President Clinton ensured that Gerry Adams and other leading republicans were welcomed into the US. Out of that, an IRA ceasefire took place. There would not have been a peace process without President Bill Clinton's personal involvement and, indeed, that of Congressman Neal. President Clinton appointed Senator George Mitchell to chair the peace talks that successfully led to the Good Friday Agreement. The involvement and presence of US presidents and politicians in the politics of the peace process has been invaluable. It has been a positive counterweight to the oft-times reckless behaviour of the British Government and unionist parties, not least Boris Johnson and the divisive Brexit policy. We have seen the beneficial effects of the bipartisan approach in upholding and defending the Good Friday Agreement. Over the course of Congressman Neal's visit, we have once again heard clearly that there must be no physical border in Ireland and no unilateral action on the part of the British Government in respect of the protocol and that any attempt to undermine the Good Friday Agreement would result in the US Congress not supporting a bilateral free trade agreement with the UK.

The recent elections in the North saw the vast majority of people demanding the re-establishment of the Assembly and the Executive. It also saw the historic election of my colleague, Michelle O'Neill, as the North's First Minister designate and Sinn Féin emerge as the largest party. The amount available to the Executive to spend immediately to support workers and families as the cost-of-living crisis rises has increased to £420 million. People are struggling to put food on the table and to pay their bills. We need urgent action now. Sinn Féin is ready to form an executive right away. The blocking by others needs to stop.

In recent times US representatives have had to remind the British Government to honour its commitments in respect of legacy, truth and justice for the relatives of those killed in the conflict and that amnesties in any form have no place in the peace process. Today, in Belfast, before travelling to the Seanad, I joined families and survivors in protesting the British Government's cruel and unjust legacy Bill, proposals which this Seanad unanimously rejected in a recent vote.

Similar calls have been made with respect to the long-delayed Acht na Gaeilge, an Irish language Act. We saw last Saturday thousands of people, mostly young people, on the streets of Belfast demanding respect for the Irish language in the most colourful, vibrant, inclusive, determined and confident way. Beidh Acht na Gaeilge ann. Tá mé muiníneach faoi sin.

The peace process has helped open up Irish society to other rights-based issues such as the right of Irish citizens living in the US and elsewhere to vote in Irish presidential elections. As a result of the impact of Brexit and the refusal of the British Government and unionist parties to respect the vote of the people of the North who voted to remain in the EU, of whom I was one, there is now a growing debate on and demand for constitutional change leading to a new and united Ireland.

Ireland has been transformed from the days when real people shuffled their broken and starved bodies along the banks of the Liffey to board ships for North America. Today's Ireland has a large US footprint where thousands of people are employed in US-owned companies and where peace and hope for the future now reign. This transformation is part of Ireland's new, and yet-to-be-written story; one which the US underwrites but one that we will write here in Ireland for the benefit of all of us.

Senator Rebecca Moynihan

We welcome our distinguished guests and friends from the United States, in particular the ambassador, H.E. Ms Cronin, and Congressman Neal's words of solidarity. In 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement was signed everybody knew it was not an end game. What it did was provide a framework for a bigger job of a peace process. It may have been Sunningdale for slow learners, in the immortal words of Séamus Mallon, but unlike 1973 when the trust between the two Governments was low, the trust had been built over the course of the previous decade and the peace process. That trust had space to grow because they had allies in the US to act as honest brokers when issues or conflicts arose. The Good Friday Agreement was based on the assumption that Ireland and the UK would both be members of a wider European Union. It did not anticipate Brexit but, more importantly, it did not anticipate a sovereign Government acting in bad faith. That is what we have now. It is heartening at such a delicate phase of the peace process, post-election and protocol negotiations, that we continue to have friends in the EU and in the US who are clear in their assertions that no government can act unilaterally on an issue which has the potential to undermine much fought-for and actively protected peace.

The issue is not the protocol; the issue is a Brexit which was built on a bed of lies and which was enthusiastically supported by those who have now zoned in on the protocol to deflect from the consequences of their own actions and stances. As a result of their intransigence, they are threatening the future of a generation. We now have Brexit and we are going to deal with it but we will not deal with it at the expense of protecting the integrity of the Single Market or protecting human rights, which the EU guarantee, and at the expense of the protection of peace.

"Derry Girls" finished last week with the hope that the Good Friday Agreement represented. There is a generation of people on this island who do not remember the days of bombs and guns. There is a generation born since then who have families and jobs and who contribute as members of society but who, in another twist of history, might have had a very different life. They have that because of the Good Friday Agreement. This needs to be protected.

The arc of history is not guaranteed to be a straight line of progress. As events in Ukraine show, we must be vigilant in defence of democracy. To do that, we need to have friends, honest brokers and allies. We thank Congressman Neal for being that friend to us.

Senator Frances Black

I am honoured to speak today on behalf of my colleagues, Senators Higgins, Ruane and Flynn of the Civil Engagement Group. I warmly welcome Congressman Neal here today along with the congressional delegation and the ambassador. His dedication and his commitment are deeply appreciated by the people of Ireland. The deep ties between our countries are well known and enduring. Human connections of family and friendship bind us forever together. We never take their support for granted and they will always be welcome here.

The Good Friday Agreement and peace process are lasting legacies of that co-operation and partnership. America's care, attention and vigilance continues to make a huge difference but let us be clear: the agreement is at risk because of Brexit. Boris Johnson's hard Brexit has placed enormous strain on our peace agreement. We must remember the people of the north of Ireland rejected Brexit. The region was removed from the EU against its will. The Border on this island is now an external border of the EU. The protocol negotiated and agreed between the EU and the UK protects the agreement, underpins continuing North-South co-operation and ensures there is no return to a hard Border. Unfortunately, the Tory Government in Westminster is threatening to unilaterally derogate from the protocol, acting to pacify the most intransigent radical Brexiteers, disregarding the preferences of the majority of the Northern Irish people.

A way forward within and under the framework of the protocol must be found. That is the collective priority now in the best interests of all the people of Northern Ireland. The UK Government must re-engage with the EU in the common effort of finding ways forward within the framework of the protocol.

Derogation from the Northern Ireland protocol is not the only example of disastrous unilateral action mooted by the British Government. The British Government's Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, which it is attempting to rush through Parliament this week, is a blatant and ugly attempt to deny victims of the Troubles justice and to suppress details of the British state's culpability in acts of violence and terrorism. The chief commissioner of Northern Ireland's Human Rights Commission, Ms Alyson Kilpatrick, said the Bill violates Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Britain's Human Rights Act 1998. I know that we can count on our American friends to stand with us as we oppose this perverse Bill which degrades the dignity and memory of the people lost to violence during the conflict in the North of Ireland.

In the wake of Brexit, increasingly chaotic British governance and perpetual dysfunction in Stormont, calls for constitutional change in the North of Ireland have become impossible to ignore. I am chair of Ireland's Future, a civil society organisation working towards responsible preparation for constitutional change. We have held public meetings across the island of Ireland, in the US and recently at Westminster. We produce substantial evidence-based contributions to the public debate. We want to create a dialogue based on reasoned and respectful debate, not fear-mongering and divisive rhetoric. The scale of ongoing work is remarkable and the constitutional conversation is advancing. We believe now is the right time to plan properly to give the people of this shared island a choice about their preferred constitutional future. It is a choice they are likely to exercise in the decade ahead and we must be ready.

The Good Friday Agreement offers Northern Ireland a way back to the EU. It provides a path towards the end of the separation and division of this island. We have a chance to make the dream of a new and united Ireland a reality. We believe that US support for this project of constitutional change in Ireland is vital. We hope that you will be there with us to embark on that new journey.

An Cathaoirleach

Congressman Neal has received great words of praise, all of which are his due. I ask him to respond to Members.

Mr. Richard Neal

I thank the Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly. I recognise the ambassador, H.E. Ms Cronin. She has been a terrific friend to Ireland and to me and she represents America so well.

I thought it was remarkable, as I listened to the Senators' courteous replies, that we are all still rowing the boat in the same direction. One of the hardest things in politics, as we all know, is to tell our most ardent friends and supporters that they are not going to get what they want right now. That is how the Good Friday Agreement was born. The hardest thing is to walk into a room and say, “Stay with us and we will get to where we want to be, even if the moment doesn't dictate how we will get there”. All sides did that to get to the Good Friday Agreement. As I travel to Belfast tomorrow, my mind will be on somebody else - Mary Ward, another grandmother who left Banbridge. What is unique about that life is that two left and four stayed. I will meet some of those relatives again tomorrow.

The significance of her journey is this: she never returned home. When she said goodbye that day to her mother and father, whose graves I visited, that was the end of it. At the post office in Dublin, which was the busiest in the world, again because of the Irish people's regard for the printed word, her lesson was this: she could never return home for a wedding, a funeral, a first communion or a confirmation. It was writing that kept the memory alive. When I go up there tomorrow - and I remember what it was like to try to move through Newry to the North - she is going to be on my mind as well. Looking at the people from the Blasket Islands, the Dingle Peninsula, Banbridge, Roscommon and in between, the fact that all of you agree now on these issues makes our job so much easier as we speak with one voice. For what Mark and all you in the Seanad have done for me on this occasion, thank you from the United States of America.

An Cathaoirleach

Last night, I presented Mr. Neal with an Irish flag that had been flown from the same building that Thomas Francis Meagher flew a tricolour from for the first time back in 1848. When he was asked of its meaning, Meagher said: "The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between orange and green and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood." I could not imagine that when he said those words nearly 175 years ago, he would imagine that in this Seanad there would be a man who is giving life to those words. I thank Congressman Neal.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar athló ag 5.52 p.m. go dtí 10.30 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 25 Bealtaine 2022.

The Seanad adjourned at 5.52 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 25 May 2022.

Seanad Éireann debate - Tuesday, 24 May 2022