[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E455-E456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

FRIENDS OF IRELAND

______

HON. JAMES T. WALSH

of new york

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, March 17, 1999

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I am
inviting all my colleagues to become a Friend of Ireland. The Friends
of Ireland is a bipartisan Congressional organization established in
1981 by the late Speaker, Thomas ``Tip'' O'Neill. Every successive
Speaker has carried on the tradition with Speaker Hastert and Minority
Leader Gephardt serving as honorary Chairmen of the group.
The purpose of the Friends of Ireland is to increase the bonds of
friendship and understanding between the American people and the people
of Ireland. We look for a peaceful solution to the problems of this
troubled land. Our organization is open to all members of the 106th
Congress who share its principles and has attracted widespread support
over the years. There are also several Senators who are members of the
Friends.
Over the years, the statements of support for peace in Ireland,
condemnations of human rights abuses, assistance to the International
Fund for Ireland and general expressions of goodwill have made a
difference. The voice of the United States Congress is listened to very
attentively in Ireland both in the Republic and in the North.
I would like to share with you this year's St. Patrick's Day
Statement:

Statement by the Friends of Ireland St. Patrick's Day 1999

On this St. Patrick's Day 1999, the friends of Ireland in
the United States Congress join with the 44 million Americans
of Irish ancestry in commemorating an extraordinary year for
the people of the island of Ireland. We are proud of the
dramatic progress achieved in last year's Good Friday
Agreement. We commend those who contributed to this historic
agreement.
The Agreement is a unique opportunity to end a tragic
conflict which has caused needless tragedy and destruction.
It holds out the promise of a new beginning, honorable and
realistic, for all involved. The Agreement was endorsed
decisively by the people in both parts of the island of
Ireland as a clear democratic mandate to their political
leaders. We call on all those leaders to implement that
mandate fully and fairly, and to embrace the opportunity for
peace offered by the Agreement with courage, imagination and
empathy. History will not deal kindly with those who fail to
do so.
We are pleased to welcome to Washington over the St.
Patrick's Day period many of those who were central to the
success of the negotiations leading to the Good Friday
Agreement. We particularly welcome the Taoiseach, Bertie
Ahern, whose outstanding commitment and leadership, both
during the negotiations, and in the succeeding months, have
been deservedly recognized. We also pay tribute to Prime
Minister Tony Blair, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Marjorie Mowlam, Minister for Foreign Affairs David Andrews,
the leaders of the Northern Ireland political parties, and
many other Irish and British Government officials for their
courage and determination to reach agreement despite the
opposition they faced.
We congratulate John Hume and David Trimble on the award of
the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their efforts for
peace. We take pride in the contribution made to the peace
process by President Clinton and many other leaders in the
United States. We especially salute our former colleague,
Senator George Mitchell, for his indispensable leadership,
and welcome the recent establishment by the U.S.-Ireland
Alliance of the Mitchall Scholarships in his honor. We
welcome the generous $3 million contribution of the Irish
Government to this scholarship fund, announced by the
Taoiseach last September during our President's visit to
Ireland. We also welcome the Irish Government's support of
the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, through a
grant to promote the Festival of Irish Arts, in May 2000.
Ireland has given to America in many ways, including men to
fight our battles from Revolutionary War to Desert Storm. In
appreciation for these services, and as a special tribute to
12 Irish citizens who gave their lives as members of the U.S.
Armed Forces in the Vietnam War, we are pleased to note that
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's traveling wall, called
the Wall that Heals, will be making a tour of Ireland from
April 16 to May 3 this year.
This July, we look forward to welcoming the first 4,000
young men and women who will enter the United States under
special visas provided by the Irish Peace Process and
Cultural Training Program Act of 1998. The visa will allow
these young adults from both communities an opportunity to
experience America's unique blend of cultural diversity and
economic prosperity. After their visit, they will return home
providing the crucial skill base needed to attract private
investment in their local economies. That Congress initiated
and passed this visa legislation with unanimous support is
evidence of our continuing bipartisan commitment to
supporting the Good Friday Agreement.
We believe the most crucial task now facing the Irish and
British Governments and all the political leaders in Northern
Ireland is to build momentum for the full implementation of
the Agreement. Inevitably, there will be continuing
difficulties to surmount in resolving this deep and long-
standing conflict. We believe the implementation of the
Agreement offers the best way forward and the best yardstick
to judge the policies and actions of those struggling to
overcome these difficulties. We do not believe that the goals
of the Agreement can be served by inaction or
procrastination in implementing its provisions. Those who
take political risks for the implementation of the
Agreement can be assured of our consistent support.
Following last month's decision by the Assembly to approve
the designation of the Northern Ireland Departments and the
list of cross-border bodies, and the signing last week by the
United Kingdom and Ireland of the historic treaties to set up
the institutions, it is vital that this decision be
implemented without delay. Progress in all of these areas is,
of course, dependent on the establishment of the multi-party
Executive, as provided in the Agreement. We are dismayed at
the delay in establishing the Executive, and urge it be
established as soon as possible. It is the best way to create
conditions for progress on other difficult issues, including
the problem of decommissioning.
The carnage inflicted on the town of Omagh last August was
a grim reminder that, in spite of all that has been achieved,

[[Page E456]]

there are those who still do not recognize the futility of
violence. The cowardly murder of Rosemary Nelson this week
reminds of the urgency of the task at hand. The horror of
these actions unites all the people of Ireland and Great
Britain, and friends of Ireland everywhere, in a
determination that such methods will be totally repudiated
and will never succeed. We also condemn, in the strongest
terms, the practice of sectarian attacks, punishment
beatings,and other acts of violence. These actions are a
violation of fundamental human rights, and serve only to
promote further division and recrimination. Against this
background of irresponsible and unacceptable reliance on
violence, we commend all those who, notwithstanding the
pressures caused by these attacks, refuse to be diverted from
the pursuit of peace and political progress.
We have in the past consistently drawn attention to the
importance of developing a police organization in Northern
Ireland capable of attracting and sustaining the support of
all parts of the community. We welcome the creation of the
Patten Commission to propose new arrangements for policing,
accountable to and fully representative of the society. A
major responsibility rests on the members of the Commission
on this vitally important issue. Their mandate from the
Agreement should lead to far-reaching change and we look
forward to their report later this year.
We attach particular importance to the provisions in the
Good Friday Agreement which promote a new respect for human
rights. Such respect is essential if the commitment to
equality, which lies at the very heart of the undertaking, is
to be given practical effect. We are heartened by progress in
relation to the Human Rights Commissions and look forward to
the development of close cross-border co-operation on this
vital issue. We also hope to see early progress on the review
of the criminal laws, and the dismantling of emergency
legislation.
We are concerned by evidence of the lack of protection for
lawyers active on human rights cases in Northern Ireland, as
described by the Special Rapporteur of the U.N. Commission on
Human Rights, and urge an early response to calls for an
independent inquiry into the murder of Belfast lawyer Pat
Finucane. We will also continue to follow closely the
progress of the inquiry into the tragic events of Bloody
Sunday in Derry in 1972.
As preparations for this year's marching season begin, we
note with concern that, despite efforts to encourage
dialogue, the situation at Drumcree remains disturbing. We
call on all involved to uphold the decisions of the Parades
Commission.
The Friends of Ireland welcome the strong support which
President Clinton and both parties in Congress have given to
the peace process, and to the full implementation of the Good
Friday Agreement, including the continuing support for the
International Fund for Ireland. We salute the parties on what
has been achieved thus far and believe that with commitment
and determination, and a readiness to seek accommodation, the
remaining differences can be overcome.
As we prepare to enter the new century, the parties to the
Good Friday Agreement have a truly historic opportunity to
achieve peace with justice for the benefit of all generations
to come. As always, we in the Friends of Ireland stand ready
to help in any way we can.
Friends of Ireland Executive Committee:
Dennis H. Hastert,
Richard A. Gephardt,
James T. Walsh,
Edward M. Kennedy,
Daniel Patrick Moynihan,
Christopher J. Dodd,
Connie Mack.

____________________