A Letter from Ireland
a Chara,
It always amazes me how the new becomes the normal. This week marked one year since the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement were re-established, and Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill became First Minister.
I remember watching the Assembly session on TV that day. I knew what was due to happen, but nonetheless found it incredibly emotional as Michelle spoke about being the First Minister for All.
Here was a Sinn Féin leader taking on the role of leading a parliament at Stormont. Up until that day, the position had been held by a Pro-British Unionist. The position had been held by one community to exclusively represent that one community.
We now had a dedicated Irish Republican vowing to represent all the people.
Michelle embodied the Irish Republican ideals of anti-sectarianism and equality. I remember talking with a group of unionists and one of them candidly said that he feared that Irish Republicans in power would do to unionists what unionists in power had done to Irish Republicans. I assured him that we had no interest in retribution, exclusion, or repeating the mistakes of the past.
Since then Michelle has turned the rhetoric of that day into action. She has acted to respect and honor many identities that make up society. An Irish Republican being the First Minister is no longer a news story, and the past abuse of power remains in the past.
What is consistent is that the British Government continues to hold the purse strings in the North. On the week marking the anniversary of the re-establishment of the institutions, Hilary Benn, the British Secretary of State, thought it would be a good time to remind the locals that they have to live within their designated budget and be prepared to make “the hard decisions”.
I always bristle when a Government Minister talks about making hard decisions as the cost of those decisions is normally felt by the poorest in society. Ministers remain with health salaries, perks, and pensions. No Minister has ever made a hard decision that left them hungry.
The North is dealing with years of underfunding and the economic impact of partition. At the time of partition, the North was a net contributor to the British economy. Within ten years it would require a subsidy, and so it has remained since. Partition never did and never will make economic sense.
The truth is that post-Brexit, the British economy is failing. The people in the North voted against Brexit. Neither Hilary Benn nor anyone in his government in Westminster has a single vote in the North of Ireland. Yet this government claims to speak on behalf of the people and control the budget.
This week the British again demonstrated the economic and democratic deficit of partition. Hilary Benn represents the failings of the past and the costs of partition and union with Britain.
Michelle O’Neill, by her actions, demonstrates that a united Ireland will be a home for all. A new and united Ireland is the hands of the people.
Have a great weekend.
Is mise,
Ciarán
Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America
