NEW IRELAND ÉIRE NUA
BELFAST PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
CALLS ON IRISH GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH A CITIZEN’S ASSEMBLY The first of the People’s Assemblies to be held under Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland was held in Belfast on 12 October. It was a full house in the Waterfront Studio in the Belfast Waterfront Conference Centre where they discussed constitutional change and the steps needed to create a new Ireland.
The conference was divided into two sessions. The first covered ‘The Economy and Communities in the New Ireland’ and the second was titled ‘A New Ireland for everyone.’ The event was opened by Declan Kearney who is the Chair of Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland which along with Belfast Sinn Féin was responsible for organising the evening and the keynote address was delivered by First Minister designate Michelle O’Neill MLA. Among those who made verbal contributions to the discussion were: Seamus McGuinness - Research Professor, Economic Social Research Institute (ESRI); Ruth Taillon - 20 years experience of Cross Border issues;
The event saw 10 expert witnesses made verbal submissions in two plenary sessions and this was followed by a discussion with the audience. Many of those who spoke from the floor were from the unionist community. The contributions were positive and futuring.
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