The Downing Street Declaration and its implications for education in the Republic of Ireland

On 15 December, 1993, An Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds and the British Prime Minister, John Major, signed a joint declaration (The Downing Street Declaration). This declaration declared that "the dynamic for future progress must reside in the full use of the democratic political process, in the underlying changes in Irish society, north and south, and in our external environment". The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister made a solemn commitment to promote co-operation at all levels. The declaration recognised the right of freedom and expression of religion, the right to equal opportunity in all social and economic activity, regardless of class, creed, sex or colour and stated that the future of the island depends on the nature of the relationship between the two main traditions that inhabit it. The joint declaration unambiguously stated that every effort must be made to build a new sense of trust between these communities.