Ireland of Equals Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Interview with Barry McElduff MLA

The All Ireland Agenda.

An Interview with spokesperson - Barry McElduff, MLA for West Tyrone.

Interview with Barry McElduff MLA, SF All Ireland Spokesperson, about the All Ireland Agenda and its importance in the current phase of the peace process, held back as it is the rejectionist forces that oppose the All Ireland and human rights agendas.

Q What is this 'All Ireland Agenda' which Sinn Féin is highlighting at the minute? I thought we always had one. What's new? Weren't Republicans always wanting to unite Ireland?

Absolutely, yes. Sinn Fein has always campaigned for a United Ireland, 'an All-Ireland' if you like. Irish Republicans place a huge primacy on the importance of the National Question and this in only right.

Essentially, what we are doing at the minute is concentrating on how exactly to promote and achieve Irish reunification through planned integration. Some months ago, I was asked to undertake the responsibility of being Sinn Féin's National Spokesperson on All-Ireland Integration. I am not sure if this is directly related to Tyrone's success in Croke Park last September, but I am happy to focus on this All-Ireland Agenda.

Working closely with a very active party strategy group, I have come to realise that many people are currently working on putting in the infrastructure now for Irish reunification which is inevitable.

Even our political opponents are embracing the notion of interaction between the two states in this country from the point of view of business co-operation, trade and business links, spatial planning, a single island economy even just the idea of sporting teams being representative of the 32 counties.

Of course, Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement is dedicated to increasing harmonisation throughout Ireland and details the format and remit of the All-Ireland Ministerial Council, for example.

Q You are not about to argue that the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) has got us our united Ireland and that the struggle is effectively over?

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No. Far from it. The GFA flags up, through the institutions it proposes for the future governance of Ireland, that a United Ireland is coming. The writing is on the wall.

I remember a meeting in Navan, a couple of years ago, when Martina Anderson pointed out that the GFA set up what were called 'Implementation Bodies', which had executive authority, on an All-Ireland basis. What is more, there were areas of co-operation between Government departments, 6 and 26 Counties, which were directed to work closer together to develop all Ireland governance. Crucially, there was provision for an All Ireland Ministerial Council.

I don't think that people had fully appreciated this. I think perhaps that very many people had not bothered to actually read the Good Friday Agreement - they were so anxious to make the point that it wasn't the end goal for which Republicans had fought.

Politics is about journey and destination. Is it provocative to suggest that Republicans should go forward with a 1916 Proclamation in one hand and a copy of the Agreement in the other, the former being our overall context and guide, and the latter just part of the route map.

Q But where do the people fit in with the All-Ireland Agenda?

Everyone has a role to play in furthering the All-Ireland Agenda. Republicans have been engaging in this project for years, of course. People have involved themselves in armed struggle, political and civil rights campaigns, and subsequently the people of Ireland have endorsed the Good Friday Agreement in joint-referenda.

I must re-emphasise that the Agreement is merely a staging post on the journey, a vehicle for taking us forward. But we should acknowledge that the Sinn Féin Leadership negotiated into the GFA many rights and structures which could perhaps be described as 'an All-Ireland' in embryonic form.

Examples include the All-Ireland Ministerial Council, the All-Ireland Consultative Forum, the Implementation Bodies and various areas for North South Co-operation, including two human rights commissions charged to draw up an All Ireland Bill of Rights to enshrine equality, an end to discriminination and sectarianism in an united Ireland where human rights has centre stage. Sinn Féin is working very hard to secure a major expansion of All-Ireland Institutions and Areas of Work as part of our wider All-Ireland Agenda.

Q Not very much of this has been fulfilled and, furthermore, there are strong very conservative forces resisting such changes. They don't want a constitution which will ensure rights for all, and they certainly do not want the marginalized sticking their noses into affairs of government.

But what did you expect? That the British establishment with its Securocrats would set up The Republic for us and deliver the Ireland of equals on a plate? Of course not. The GFA is now the political context after decades of terrible suffering and prolonged struggle. It is down to us to drive it on. It's our struggle now to drive this process of democratic change forward.

Q Ok. What are you actually doing as All Ireland spokesperson?

Well let me give you an example. Currently Sinn Féin is widely consulting on the 'Rights for All' Charter. This is about creating an Irish Freedom Charter, a programme for justice and peace in Ireland. We are learning from the experience of South Africa in terms of formulating a vision of an alternative society based on political, economic, social, cultural and human rights. We are meeting groups and individuals the length and breadth of Ireland to hear their views. We want to stimulate ideas and towards this end we are proactively engaging with all sections of society - from Community and Trade Union Groups to Voluntary organisations and all shades of political opinion.

Another example. The EU has backed the Good Friday Agreement with very substantial funding programmes, which are there to overcome the extreme impoverishment and disadvantage that people in the border regions have suffered as a result of the conflict.

The border counties, let's not forget, are amongst the most impoverished areas across Ireland. The funding is supposed to build cross border integration, to use the carrot of financial assistance to plan integration, and also to provide the wherewithal to enable cross border infrastructural development - like a gas pipeline, roads, broad band access in border regions and so on.

Q. How does this actually benefit communities along the border?

Crucially many of the programmes concentrate on building social capital, on providing training and other opportunities for people to develop their own communities, so as to bring economic and social gain to all who live there. In effect the funding is aimed at removing the artificial construct which is the border, by integrating economic and social projects, not back to back projects initiated by the two governments separately North and South.

As all Ireland spokesperson I will be hoping to ensure that the funding is properly allocated within European guidelines. We do want to satisfy ourselves that EU funding is genuinely promoting participation of the people who live in border communities, where people begin to take control of their own environments.

Q What is so important about building "social capital"?

At the end of the day, this is the key requirement if we are to build a human rights based Ireland. You cannot give people rights, they have to take them. People who have been disadvantaged or marginalised need to be empowered to confidently demand their rights.

Q What sort of Ireland will it be once we've rubbed out this border then?

Yes. There is the rub! What sort of Ireland it will be depends on how well Republicans drive this all Ireland agenda: how well they can outreach to people, engage people in the process of building an Ireland of equals, based on human rights and the participation of excluded minorities in the governance of this country.

The process of rubbing out the border is just a part of the All-Ireland Agenda. That is what all our activists are there to do - to go out to people, to talk to people, to listen to their concerns and their needs and to see how these can be advanced through the process of building an Ireland of Equals.