The Irish and British governments must step in to give “direction and stability” to the people and politics of the North because there is no functioning powersharing administration at Stormont, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has told an audience of political and civic leaders in Britain.
Speaking at the British Irish Association’s annual conference at Oxford University, he said the governments “must do better” to show others that they are able to work together to address issues such as healthcare and education.
He said relations between the two have improved “significantly” over the last 12 months. But he acknowledged there is still some “strain”.
Mr Martin reminded the audience that it was initiatives between the two governments, such as the Downing Street Declaration of 1993, that helped to pave the way for the Belfast Agreement less than five years later.
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“It is time to rebuild that sense of common purpose,” he said. “I want us to work better together, from Dublin and London, to renew people’s sense of hope in Northern Ireland’s politics.”
In the absence of a functioning government in the North, Mr Martin said the two administrations should now co-operate more closely to pool their “know-how” to address everyday issues in the North.
“Imagine how much more we can each do for those most in need by being open to sharing experiences, by investing in each other. The three civil services working together, using the North-South bodies to deliver better healthcare, better food, better jobs to the benefit of all.”
He suggested that the Irish Government could bring to the table its experience in helping to revamp areas of “multiple deprivation” and of helping people “left behind” by the education system. He also called for more co-operation on issues such as climate change, biodiversity and energy security.
“The first, essential, building block to achieving this is the two governments working in lock-step. When that falters, peace and progress falter,” he said. “The bilateral relationship [between the Irish and British governments], and our partnership on Northern Ireland, is, frankly, stronger than it was this time last year. But much more remains to be done.”
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Proper reconciliation in the North “requires us all to be open to doing things differently. There is false comfort to be derived from repeating our failures,” said Mr Martin.
The Tánaiste also reiterated long-standing Irish criticisms of the British for forging ahead with proposed new laws giving immunity to people, including members of the British armed forces, for killings committed during the Troubles. The British government’s legacy Bill, which would end all inquests and civil actions over Troubles killings, is on the verge of being made law in Westminster.
‘Civil litigation’
Mr Martin said the British government had “unilaterally” departed from a previously agreed approach on such matters: “[It is] a source of real distress for the many families waiting for inquests or pursuing civil litigation in relation to the death of their loved ones.”
He said he is “fearful” that the UK government’s approach would damage the process of reconciliation.
“Some may be tempted to see the Bill’s enactment as drawing a line under the legacy issue. Sadly, it will not — instead, I fear it will ensure legacy remains a source of contention, suspicion and mistrust, with little truth, no apologies and hurt layered upon hurt,” he said.
“And while no approach would be perfect, it is a matter of great sadness that the agreed way forward was never given its chance. In the absence of an agreed way forward on this most difficult of issues, I worry that the past will infect the politics of the future.”
