Conor Murphy flags difficulties of partition for border communities in maiden speech in Seanad

Derry Journal

Transcript

00:00I wish to offer hearty congratulations to yourself and your election as chair of the

00:07of the Seanad. I also would like to congratulate all other Seanad members on

00:11their election and appointment to here. I look forward very much to working with

00:15everyone in this house in the time ahead. It's a great honor for me to be elected

00:22to this institution having served for quite a long time on the northern side

00:27of the border. I am a citizen of County Armagh and I have a very particular

00:32experience in relation to the life and the difficulties in border communities

00:37and the difficulties that partition presents to them and the opportunities

00:41that exist in terms of all-island collaboration in relation to matters

00:45like health and transport, agriculture, agri-foods and the all-Ireland economy

00:52which was a particular focus of my own when I served as a Minister for Economy

00:57in the Northern Executive. That work I intend to continue as part of my

01:02role as a Seanadore and part of a 45 member strong Oireachtas team of

01:10Sinn Féin representatives. I'm very pleased that I've been asked to be the

01:13leader of our Seanad team in relation to that. We will pursue a very progressive

01:20agenda and we of course in this house intend to work very collaboratively and

01:24constructively with all to try and ensure that we hold the government to

01:27account in relation to very critical issues around housing, health and all the

01:32matters and that we ensure that some of the promises that have been undertaken

01:36and not yet delivered in terms particularly in the number of houses but

01:39in other issues then are delivered on over the course this mandate and that we

01:44move away from the current focus which seems to be on expanding the cabinet and

01:48creating super junior ministers into the real issues of the day. Of course my

01:53colleague Pat Ailey is currently in front of the courts in relation to that

01:58matter and I expect that the courts will give us clarity and that we will

02:01continue in this house to hold the government to account. I do believe that

02:06defining an issue over time and the time ahead over the course of the next number

02:09of years will be the constitutional question and I think there is a great

02:12opportunity for this house to play a role in relation to that and begin the

02:16necessary discussions and preparations in accordance with the Good Friday

02:20Agreement principles which will value respect, inclusivity, dialogue with

02:25people who consider themselves British, Irish or neither across this island and

02:29try and build a better future for all of the people who live on this island and I

02:33think that is the way forward and I see an opportunity for all of us in relation

02:37to that to begin that work. I noticed in your opening remarks you made

02:42reference to the good relationships that you have with the Speaker of the Assembly

02:45and others and I think that work is absolutely vital in the time ahead that

02:48we need to get down to the preparation work. Of course there is an opportunity

02:52coming up in the autumn in terms of voting for the President which I think

02:55would have been a significant opportunity had that particular issue

02:59been grasped by the previous administration in terms of allowing

03:02voting rights particularly for people, for citizens who live north of the

03:06border but for citizens more widely in relation to that and I hope that we can

03:10over the course of this mandate press the government to deliver on a

03:13commitment that they made and that the constitutional investigation into these

03:18issues recommended that would be held by them. This is a very uncertain time

03:24internationally and we all have a concern in relation to what's shaping up

03:28under the new administration in America and of course it will be vital in terms

03:32of security of jobs to make sure that we chart a very steady course in relation

03:36to that. Ireland has the opportunity of the Presidency of the European Union in

03:42the time ahead and again that presents a very significant opportunity to bring

03:45some sense and calmness to international issues and of course the

03:48daily issue in relation to Palestine in particular Gaza and the inflicting of

03:53huge atrocities on the citizens there again I think is something that this

03:57House must turn attention to in the time ahead. But can I say once again that I

04:01congratulate you very much in relation to your appointment as Chair. I look

04:05forward to working with you in the time ahead and the group that I will lead in

04:08the Senate and I look forward to working constructively with all other

04:11shanidori here in the time ahead to try and achieve all that we can for the

04:16people of Ireland right across all 32 counties of it.

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