8 Noll 2011, 16:34
The British Irish Parliamentary Assembly will undertake its own study of how best to approach the series of commemorations that will take place over the next decade marking the centenaries of some of the most historic and significant events in British and Irish history.
The study will be undertaken by the Assembly’s Committee on Sovereign Matters under the Chairmanship of Frank Feighan TD, and will consider how to mark events such as the signing of the Ulster Covenant, the Easter Rising, and World War One in a manner that is inclusive, sensitive, and appropriate.
Deputy Feighan said that he was determined to undertake a widespread consultation and meet with as many groups and individuals as possible to understand their perspective on these events.
He said that in the new era of British-Irish relations that now exists, we should use these commemorations to further reconciliation between our two countries and to deepen understanding of our shared history.
Deputy Feighan was speaking after he attended a political seminar in Derry last weekend organised by the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation that included a wide range of public representatives, community groups, and individuals gathered together specifically to discuss how we should approach these commemorations.
Deputy Feighan commented, “Over the next decade it is important that we mark these momentous events in an appropriate manner. There will be those who may want to use these centenaries as a means of creating further division and who will try and hijack them for their own ends.
“We must therefore ensure that these commemorations mark the progress that has been made in British-Irish relations over recent years and ask how we can develop that relationship for the benefit of all the people in our two countries.
“For that reason, I and my colleagues in the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly will be undertaking a major study over the coming months and will bring forward conclusions and recommendations to the Assembly.
ENDS - For more information contact Ronan Farren, Q4 Public Relations, at 01 475 1444 / 087 934 0386
*The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (formerly the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body) was established in 1990 as a link between members of the Houses of Parliament and the Houses of the Oireachtas. In recent years, membership has been expanded to include representatives of the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly, the High Court of Tynwald (Isle of Man) and the States of Guernsey and Jersey. Two plenary sessions, attended by 68 members and associates, are held every year alternately in Britain and Ireland with ongoing work by four Committees.
The Assembly is co-chaired by Joe McHugh TD and Laurence Robertson MP. View website.