British Ambassador Refuses Good Friday Committee Invite
N.B See Letter of Refusal attached from British Ambassador
Responding to the British Ambassador’s refusal to appear before the Oireachtas Good Friday Committee, Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín and Aontú Candidate for East Derry, Gemma Brolly, criticised the Ambassador’s response to concerns over his government’s copper-fastening of partition.
Rep Brolly: “The Tory Government are brazenly bolstering partition by construction, with their efforts to impose visa requirements on Non-Irish EU Residents. This is a wrongful breach of the sovereignty of Ireland, and of the Good Friday Agreement. Once again, Westminster is imposing ‘laws’ upon the North without consent or mandate. The refusal of the British Ambassador to come before the Committee typifies the disregard for the concerns of the Irish people, and their elected representatives.”
An Teachta Tóibín: “There can, under no circumstances be a reduction in the freedom to travel on the island of Ireland. This is an egregious breach of the Good Friday Agreement and a unilateral step to the detriment of the people of Ireland, without their consent. I raised this issue at the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee, and I was very glad to get cross-party approval of the Aontú proposal to invite the British Ambassador to Ireland to testify before the Committee, to hear the concerns of the public representatives of the Irish people. To have the British Ambassador refuse this reasonable invitation to discuss these concerns, is a disgrace and I would call upon the government to take a firm response to these attempts to segregate Ireland.”
