Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 July 2014
41. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on any discussions and-or contacts his Department has had with the parties in Northern Ireland, including the Orange Order, since the Unionist parties walked out of the all-party talks on 3 July. [30741/14]
View answerSince 3 July, officials from my Department have had some level of contact with members of all the Northern Ireland Executive parties. I spoke by phone with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Alasdair McDonnell, leader of the SDLP, on Friday, 11 July, the evening of my appointment. There have been no formal contacts with the Orange Order since 3 July. I plan to visit Northern Ireland in the near future and hope to have the opportunity of meeting a broad range of leaders, both in politics and in civil society. The Government’s priority in this sensitive period in Northern Ireland is putting partnership politics back on track and fully implementing the Good Friday Agreement.
