A new North-South
Interparliamentary Association will be the "people's
forum for pursuing cross-border and all-island
issues", Deputy Joe McHugh has said.
The TD who is chair of the Oireachtas Committee on
the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement has
been a member of the working group on the
establishment of the new 48-member
Interparliamentary Association.
"Membership of the Association will be drawn equally
from the Northern Ireland Assembly and Oireachtas
Eireann. This new institution will be the first
post-1921 parliamentary assembly exclusive to this
island in which there will be full participation
from all representative political groupings on the
island," he said.
"Parliament’s role is to deliberate, to monitor and
control government. It will also act as a mechanism
for delivering accountability in cross-border
affairs.
"Health is an obvious area where there is scope for
mutual advantage in cross-border cooperation. I look
forward to the new association serving as a
political mechanism for fashioning, advancing and
scrutinising shared health services.
"Other priorities may include the need for grid
connection to facilitate energy development, the
implementation of the Irish Language Act and a Bill
of Human Rights in Northern Ireland, and the A5/N2
motorway project, which will balance the island’s
motorway network and open up access through
Monaghan, Tyrone, Derry and Donegal," added the Fine
Gael deputy. |
