Jury’s Inn Birmingham will host our annual gathering this year, and it promises to be a memorable event with a welcome address by the Chair of the APPG on the Irish in Britain Conor McGinn MP; an address by his Excellency Ambassador Mulhall; the final Chairs address by out–going Chair Dr Mary Tilki,
the election of a new Chair and six new Trustees and four motions from the floor.
You can follow the AGM on twitter by using the hashtag #IIBAGM15
The four motions that will be voted on by members are:
MOTION 1 – Submitted by the Traveller Movement
The Traveller Movement believes that promoting equality and recognising diversity should be at the core of the Irish Community sector. TM considers that this should be reflected by the attainment of an equality and diversity Charter Mark by both Irish in Britain and its members.
The Traveller Movement calls on Irish in Britain to support those organisations from within its membership who wish to pursue accreditation, and to promote relevant schemes and funding opportunities to its members.
MOTION 2 – Submitted by the London Irish LGBT Network
After the historic and successful Marriage Equality Referendum in the Republic, in which the diaspora played a major role, with campaigns such as Home to Vote, we now believe that the inequality displayed towards LGBT citizens in Northern Ireland needs to be addressed urgently. The intransigence of political parties such as the DUP is leading to a situation where Northern Ireland is now the only party of these islands where same sex couples are denied the right to marry.
The London Irish LGBT Network call upon Irish in Britain to fully support the campaign for marriage equality in Northern Ireland and to encourage its membership to do likewise. We ask for Irish in Britain to work with the All Party Committee on Irish Affairs and other organisations to bring about change in Northern Ireland and to support the equality of all people living there.
MOTION 3 – Submitted by the Leicester Irish Society
The Committee of the Irish in Britain to use all the means at their disposal to put pressure on the Cabinet Office Honours and Appointments Secretariat to have The Most Illustrious Order Of Saint Patrick reinstated in The Queens Honours list
MOTION 4 – Submitted by Colaiste na nGael
We wish to donate an Irish government grant to IIB to finance an Irish language prize. This small annual prize would be to the young person who has done the most to promote the Irish language in their local area. The prize would be given to finance Irish language learning resources, or could go towards the cost of a young person attending a residential course in the Gaeltacht. The award would be announced at the IIB AGM, commencing October 2016 to continue annually whilst funding permits.