West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Doherty welcomes Hillsborough Castle Agreement

Published: 9 February, 2010

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MP MLA Pat Doherty in welcoming the Hillsborough Castle Agreement said

"Republicans throughout Ireland have been very patient not only over recent weeks but over recent years with regard to the vital issue of policing. A date has now finally been set for the long overdue transfer of policing and justice powers from London to Belfast. That is a major achievement and it will also be a major challenge to ensure that policing services are delivered equitably and efficiently for all communities and that the justice system is independent and fully rights-based.

"I welcome especially the commitment to work on the outstanding issues from the St. Andrew's Agreement. That must include completion and full working of the all-Ireland structures, including the North-South Parliamentary Forum. Just last Thursday in the Good Friday Agreement Implementation Committee in the Oireachtas we discussed the progress being made in all-Ireland co-operation on education and how so much more can yet be done.

I raised issues of ensuring increased mobility on cross border educational issues with Ministers Caitríona Ruane and Batt O Keefe, including local issues such as the provision of transport assistance for Irish speaking children from Strabane attending Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny and problems of residency families' encounter when seeking to attend school in either jurisdiction. I was given a commitment that potential solutions to these issues are being examined. This same approach applies to areas like health, transport, employment creation, agriculture and shows the need for fully operational all-Ireland structures.

"The agreement reached at Hillsborough will also mean that several vacated British military sites throughout the North will now be transferred to the Executive. This includes the vacated Lisanelly and St Lucia sites in Omagh which have been earmarked for the creation of a shared educational campus.

"The pedagogic, social and economic impact of this proposal for Omagh is huge and the timing is very opportune as it coincides with the appointment of a Programme Director and the beginning of the exemplar design stage.

"The real test of this Agreement will be how it delivers improvements in the daily life condition of ordinary people, not only in the Six Counties but across this island."