Throughout his lengthy and dedicated career in international diplomacy, culminating as a permanent representative for Ireland to the European Union, Tom Hanney learnt numerous valuable lessons, the most important of which was patience.
Hanney ascended to the role of joint secretary (South) in the early part of his illustrious career for the North-South Ministerial Council, stationed in Armagh, where he worked collaboratively with his Northern counterpart, Mary Bunting.
At a recent commemoration event marking the 25th birthday of the Centre for Cross Border Studies – soon to assume the name of the Centre for Cross Border Co-Operation – Hanney recalled the numerous challenges he had faced.
He reminisced on how topics such as the Narrow Water Bridge, the Ulster Canal, and the A5 Road were part of ongoing debates during his tenure, while acknowledging that despite significant progress, the conversations continued even to this day.
As per the guidelines of the Belfast Agreement, collaborative efforts were to be divided across 12 main sectors, a sharp contrast from the initial suggestion by Dublin, endorsed by London, of introducing forty dedicated bodies, each with executive powers.
Progress in six domains – spanning agriculture, education, environment, health, transport and tourism – was driven by the combined effort of Government departments and Ministers from Dublin and Stormont.
In six other domains, successful alliances and co-operation were achieved via North-South execution bodies, key among these being Waterways Ireland, looking after inland waterways, Safefood, focusing on matters related to food safety, and InterTrade Ireland, with the task of promoting cross-border trade.
Additionally, other co-operative organisations of note include the Special EU Programmes Body, responsible for delivering EU Peace and Interreg Programmes, two language organisations – Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency – and the Loughs Agency, managing Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough.
The all-island tourism body, Tourism Ireland, serves as the final piece. Despite being a limited company, the governance and oversight is nearly identical to the other North/South organisations.
The potential for future co-operation seems promising, particularly if the focus can be kept on practical efforts that benefit all, steering clear of entanglement in constitutional debates about the island’s future.
The North-South Ministerial Council, established in 1999 is an outcome of the Belfast Agreement yet it was formally established over a year following the historic agreement in Stormont.
The entity often referred to diplomatically as “the NSMC” has experienced numerous hurdles due to interruptions within Stormont or the caution expressed by unionists, initially the Ulster Unionists, and in recent times, the Democratic Unionist Party. Current sentiment, expressed by Bunting, calls for the NSMC to be more adaptable, shifting from its bureaucratic nature to a suitable platform for ministerial debates.
She reveals that when ministers converse, they do connect and perform their political duties. However, handling NSMC’s administrative tasks, characterised by volumes of paperwork and absurdities (as she now openly admits), is astonishingly overwhelming.
Recalling a plenary session in Armagh with ministers, Bunting had created comprehensive notes for Ian Paisley, the then first minister. The notes were so meticulously prepared that they included speaking times for each topic. Paisley challenged the audacity of the civil servant who allotted him only five minutes for a discussion. It was then that she realised the absurdity of such precise preparations.
Bunting insists that politicians be allowed to engage freely in dialogue and arrive at consensus, as they bear the responsibility of effecting change. Hanney concurs, highlighting that progress, even at a gradual pace, requires a large expenditure of both time and energy. He humorously compares it to constructing the Great Wall of China, implying it may be simpler than forging bridge between North and South.
Reflecting on political relations, Hanney, observed that politicians were actually better at harmonising than civil servants who were constantly apprehensive about potential errors or conflicts. He also noted the disparate bureaucratic cultures between North and South. To him, the Northern Civil Service seemed better organised and practical in evaluating issues. On the other hand, the South, while less formal, displayed more flexibility, ensuring officials on both sides could learn from each other.
The Southern side was always predisposed to “charge ahead”, expressed an unnamed individual. This person confessed that there was a constant urge to advance the agenda further, but the need for restraint was also acknowledged in regards to certain matters that would find limited success in Stormont.
Now, politicians and diplomats are of the belief that a window of opportunity has arisen to make strides in multiple areas. This sentiment is reinforced by the fact that Northern Ireland won’t be having any elections until 2027, barring unforeseen circumstances.
Martin Fraser, a previous secretary to the government who is currently serving as Ireland’s Ambassador to London, expressed his thoughts on the matter. Fraser has a long history of involvement in North/South issues and considers the recent NSMC plenary meetings to be among the most productive in two decades.
“Topics have evolved, covering matters like the circumstance of mother and baby homes or institutional abuse, climate change and biodiversity. It would’ve been quite a struggle in the past to bring such matters into the agenda, indicating things are starting to open up a bit, which is indeed positive,” Fraser conveyed.
Nonetheless, he warns of different future challenges, “The entire island will be caught up in an increasing number of storms in the upcoming years. Politics must keep pace with these changes. Politicians should be relieved from bureaucratic constraints and must utilise this newfound freedom to address imminent issues as opposed to dwelling on topics from the years 1998 or 2006,” Fraser expressed.
The comprehensive dialogue took place in a debate, suitably held by the Armagh-based Centre for Cross Border Studies. The institution has been steadily promoting greater cross-Border comprehension.
Currently, the Centre, which observed its silver jubilee last September, is preparing for its next phase with a new title, the Centre for Cross Border Co-operation.
The NSMC congregates using various approaches, including plenary sessions where a majority or all Ministers from Stormont and Dublin participate. Such an event occurred in Dublin Castle in the middle of September and usually takes place twice a year.
Council ministers have frequent face-to-face discussions with their opposing number, which is regarded as the main operational area of the council. This was highlighted by Richard Hill, who is currently serving as the joint secretary for the Northern faction of the council. Describing the numerous disruptions and suspensions, he acknowledged the trials they’ve encountered. Nevertheless, approximately 350 meetings have been held between ministers from both regions since the establishment of the body.
Highlighting the effectiveness of collaboration between the North and South, Hilary Reilly, the joint secretary for the South, drew attention to common challenges faced by the agriculture sector. The successful joint operation against the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 was cited. The partnership between their respective agriculture departments made the island free from brucellosis and various other diseases.
Their mutual effort also led to the achievement of geographical recognition status for grass-fed Irish beef from the European Union. It elevated the importance of Irish beef to the level of Parma ham or Irish whiskey. Additionally, they teamed up to create the Middletown Centre for Autism in County Armagh in 2007, which now serves children island-wide.
Progress is being made on the Ulster Canal’s restoration project, a topic of conversation along the Border for years. A small stretch between Clonfad and Clones in County Monaghan has already been opened and the entire project is projected to be completed in 2029, costing €80 million. The plan includes restoring a 10km segment stretching from Clonfad to Castle Saunderson, providing a waterway connection from Clones to Lough Erne and further.
However, no authority over Lough Neagh, a heavily polluted lake receiving a tenth of its waters from the Republic’s side of the Border, is held by Waterways Ireland. Regardless, with the return and likely permanence of the Stormont institutions after more than a quarter-century, many feel it’s time for a complete examination of the operation of cross-Border regulations.
While the count of staff actively participating in all organisations has either remained constant or experienced a cutback, the initial promise that each policy from Dublin or Stormont would be scrutinised for its influence on interterritorial collaboration went missing in the 2006 St Andrews Agreement analysis. Reilly, hailing from Midlands, decided to accentuate the positive side of matters, engaging in discussions with all relevant establishments. In her words, “Upon speaking to them in-depth about their operations, it becomes evident that they are silently progressing with their tasks.”