Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 June 2014
66. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he has taken to progress the protection of human rights in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27566/14]
View answerIn the Good Friday Agreement the parties affirmed their commitment to the mutual respect, the civil rights and the religious liberties of everyone in the community. As one of the key underlying values of the Agreement, respect for human rights remains a priority for this Government and is fundamental to informing our approach to furthering peace and reconciliation, and to supporting effective power-sharing government, in Northern Ireland.
As I remarked recently at the Institute for British Irish Studies Conference in UCD, I am concerned that there has been political drift from a number of the core values underlying the Agreement. Parity of esteem and respect for different cultures across Northern Ireland are key requirements for stability and growth. Human rights suffer where there is any ambivalence about respect and tolerance. All of society suffers where the power-sharing institutions do not act in accordance with their foundational ethos.
The Government has been clear in our discussions with politicians, business leaders and representatives of civil society about the importance with which we hold human rights. In particular, I have made clear that the introduction of a Bill of Rights in Northern Ireland, as envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement, would provide an ethical framework through which contentious issues could be addressed in an agreed context of respect, tolerance and understanding. I continue to urge all the parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the British Government to engage in constructive discussions with a view to reaching agreement on the substance of a Bill of Rights.
