Bill Text: NJ ACR132 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom to take immediate steps toward a united Ireland.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-04-15 - Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [ACR132 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-ACR132-Introduced.html
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 132
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MARCH 8, 2012
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ALISON LITTELL MCHOSE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom to take immediate steps toward a united Ireland.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution urging the governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom to take immediate steps toward a united Ireland.
WHEREAS, Ireland is an ancient and distinct island-nation that was artificially partitioned by the United Kingdom with the Government of Ireland Act 1920; and
WHEREAS, The partition divided the nation into Northern Ireland, which is composed of six northern counties and is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, and Southern Ireland, which would eventually become the Republic of Ireland, and which consists of the remaining 26 counties; and
WHEREAS, Negotiated with American support, the Belfast Agreement, commonly known as the Good Friday Agreement, was ratified by the Irish and British governments on April 10, 1998; and
WHEREAS, The Good Friday Agreement represents a fundamental political advance that created a framework and a mechanism for further political development toward the final resolution of the issue of reunification; and
WHEREAS, The time has come to end the partition of Ireland in favor of a united, sovereign nation that guarantees equal rights and equal opportunities for all its citizens; and
WHEREAS, In every area that affects the life and well-being of the Irish people, including the economy, education, health, governance, and social interaction, a united Ireland offers the best opportunity for peace and prosperity for the Irish nation and its people; and
Whereas, The partition of Ireland is an affront to democracy, and reunification should be supported by all democratic-minded people and people of good will; and
Whereas, The governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom should take immediate steps toward a united Ireland, as envisioned and called for by the Good Friday Agreement; and
Whereas, To hasten reunification, the Republic of Ireland should formally study the implications of a unified Ireland, outline the steps necessary for reunification, and report those findings to the public; and
Whereas, As August 2011 marked the 30th anniversary of the Irish Hunger Strike, in which 10 Irish political prisoners sacrificed their lives as they fought for basic rights, the reunification of Ireland will ensure that their ultimate sacrifice was not made in vein; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):
1. The governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom are urged to take immediate steps toward a united Ireland, as envisioned and called for by the Good Friday Agreement.
2. The Republic of Ireland is urged to study formally the implications of a united Ireland, outline the steps necessary for reunification, and report those findings to the public.
3. Duly authenticated copies of this concurrent resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and the President of the Senate and attested by the Clerk of the General Assembly and the Secretary of the Senate, shall be transmitted to the respective Ambassadors of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom in Washington, D.C.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom to take immediate steps toward a united Ireland. Ireland is an ancient and distinct island-nation that was artificially partitioned by the United Kingdom with the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Negotiated with American support, the Good Friday Agreement, ratified by the Irish and British governments on April 10, 1998, represents a fundamental political advance that created a framework and a mechanism for further political development toward the final resolution of the issue of reunification.
In every area of life that affects the well-being of the Irish people, including the economy, education, health, governance, and social interaction, a democratic reunification of Ireland offers the best opportunity for peace and prosperity for the Irish nation and its people. The partition of Ireland is an affront to democracy, and reunification should be supported by all democratic-minded people and people of good will.
The governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom should take immediate steps toward the reunification of Ireland, as envisioned and called for by the Good Friday Agreement. To hasten reunification, the Republic of Ireland should formally study the implications of a united Ireland, outline the steps necessary for reunification, and report those findings to the public.
As August 2011 marked the 30th anniversary of the Irish Hunger Strike, in which 10 Irish political prisoners sacrificed their lives as they fought for basic rights, the reunification of Ireland will ensure that their ultimate sacrifice was not made in vein.
