Rick Lazio: “I rise today in recognition and celebration of the 40 million Americans who are of Irish heritage, especially my two…”

“I rise today in recognition and celebration of the 40 million Americans who are of Irish heritage, especially my two daughters Molly and Kelsey. In the past year, our reasons for celebrating this day have grown as the prospect of a Northern Ireland free of violence and discrimination is becoming more realistic. The Joint Declaration of Peace, signed last year, represents a major step in ending the strife that has plagued Northern Ireland during the last 25 years. But, while there is reason to remain positive about this development, we cannot rest here--peace is not yet a reality. Human rights violations and terrorist killings continue. As Americans, we will continue to offer our help to the people of Northern Ireland, but they, not us, will have to be the ultimate peacemakers. To aid in this process, we must keep the pressure on Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, SDLP leader John Hume, British Prime Minister John Major, and Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds to maintain a dialog on peace. And, we must urge President Clinton to fulfill his promise to appoint a Special Envoy to Northern Ireland to facilitate this process. It is my sincerest hope that the positive developments of the past year are only the beginning of what will be a sustainable path of peace and freedom for the people of Northern Ireland. Happy St. Patrick's Day, America.”