Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2018
139. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Northern Executive and Assembly will be reconvened in the near future; and if he has discussed this with his British counterpart recently. [47124/18]
View answerSince the Northern Ireland Assembly elections of March 2017, the Irish and British Governments, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, have worked tirelessly to support and facilitate the parties in their efforts to form a new power-sharing Executive.
Unfortunately, to date, it has not proved possible to reach an agreement on the formation of an Executive, despite intensive engagement. The absence of the Executive also means that the North South Ministerial Council cannot meet.
I am currently engaging with Secretary of State Bradley on how both Governments can most effectively secure the full operation of all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. I met with Secretary of State Bradley in Dublin on 17 September, in Belfast on 8 October and most recently in Dublin on 2 November at the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference. We spoke by phone on Monday 12 November.
Both Governments are continuing to engage with all of the political parties to seek a way forward to get the Institutions up and running again. All parties have re-affirmed their commitment to operating the devolved institutions and have provided views on their key concerns and issues.
In the period ahead, I believe a new political process is required to get beyond the current impasse and secure the necessary agreement between the parties on operating the devolved institutions again.
I do not underestimate the way to go in achieving that, but I firmly believe that a resolution is possible and that the calls from across all sections of the community in Northern Ireland for the devolved institutions to operate will be heeded.
The Government will continue to do everything in its power, in accordance with its responsibilities as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, to secure the effective operation of all of the institutions of the Agreement.
