Aug 27, 2020Member-onlyRule treating all the people of Northern Ireland as EU citizens comes into effectAll Northern Ireland born British and Irish citizens will be treated as European Union citizens for immigration purposes — The rule change that will see all British and Irish citizens born in Northern Ireland be treated as European Union citizens for immigration purposes has officially come into force. …Brexit4 min readBrexit4 min read
Jul 14, 2020Member-onlyIt might be time to ask ourselves if Power-sharing is really workingIt took almost three full years to restore devolution, and required the intervention of both the Irish and British governments, and yet six months in we’re already back to rumors of a collapse in power-sharing — It took no less than six months for a return to what increasingly appears to be Northern Ireland’s natural resting state of tumultuous governmental collapse. All speculation of course- but the airwaves are aflutter and we’ve had days of back to back commentary on this latest political crisis.Northern Ireland5 min readNorthern Ireland5 min read
Jul 7, 2020Member-only“The people of Northern Ireland remain British citizens even if they identify as Irish”This was the argument put forward by the British Home Office in our case but what was the substance of that assertion? — The question of identity and citizenship under the Good Friday Agreement has been brought into sharp focus through our legal challenge with the British Home Office for the right to be accepted as Irish under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. As parties in this legal challenge we have…Good Friday Agreement4 min readGood Friday Agreement4 min read
Jun 28, 2020Member-only‘A shared Island’ but one that ends at the borderAs someone who has often defended the Irish Government to those feeling left behind, the lack of any Northern nominations to Seanad Éireann deals a very heavy blow. — The new Programme for Government is titled, “A shared Island”, and the document itself is ambitious in regards to Northern Ireland with a raft of initiatives to improve North-South relations. …Irish Government3 min readIrish Government3 min read
Jun 22, 2020Member-onlyProgramme for Government doesn’t hold back in delivering an ambitious framework to deepen North-South relationsFor days many of us will have been excitedly wading through the draft programme for government (PfG) that took 128 days to come to fruition. It’s a deal that represents a historic coalition between the two Civil War parties of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail in partnership with the Green…Northern Ireland4 min readNorthern Ireland4 min read
Jun 22, 2020Member-onlyAttention turns to the Taoiseach nominations where the nominated NI Senator will face considerable challengesWith a draft Government deal now on the table attention will soon turn to the Taoiseach nominations with confirmation that there will be an independent nomination from Northern Ireland. …Northern Ireland4 min readNorthern Ireland4 min read
Jun 14, 2020Member-onlyTaoiseach nominations could see the first woman nominated from the NorthThe nomination would also represent the generational changes in the North and reaffirm the principles of the Good Friday Agreement — On Saturday a senior Fine Gael source told PA that “If there’s to be independent Senator from Northern Ireland then either Emma de Souza or former Senator Ian Marshall would be obvious choices.” This news was met with much excitement in our house, with my mum and grandmother lighting the…Northern Ireland4 min readNorthern Ireland4 min read
May 4, 2020Member-onlyA more inclusive view of citizenship should be embraced by the next Irish GovernmentAs political parties seek to form a new Irish government, they are presented with a unique opportunity to incorporate a more generous view of what it means to be Irish, one that values the diversity and strength of Irish citizens the world over. Outgoing Senator for the diaspora Senator Billy…Ireland4 min readIreland4 min read
Apr 29, 2020Member-onlyLegislative recommendations show that parity of esteem is not just a pipe dreamThe Joint Committee of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Irish Human rights and equality commission recently published a research paper on incorporating the Birthright provisions of the Good Friday Agreement into UK domestic law — Parity of esteem, mutual respect and equality are the founding principles of the 1998 Belfast Good Friday Agreement but these principles have not been fully realised in domestic UK law, policy and practice.Northern Ireland8 min readNorthern Ireland8 min read
Feb 16, 2020Member-onlyNew Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will raise fresh concerns over Westminsters commitment to NI interestsNorthern Ireland prepares for its forth Secretary of State in four years — Boris Johnsons cabinet reshuffle saw the first competent Secretary of State for Northern Ireland being axed from his post. During his short tenure Julian Smith managed what two previous Secretaries could not - the restoration of devolution through the New Decade New Approach deal and his personal commitment to helping…3 min read3 min read
