Patricia Ryan
Question:360. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to ensure the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. [23517/20]
View answerTuesday, 15 September 2020
Questions (360)
Written answers
The full implementation and effective operation of the Good Friday Agreement and all subsequent agreements is an utmost priority for this Government.
The New Decade, New Approach agreement reached in January was a very significant shared achievement in restoring the power-sharing institutions of the Good Friday Agreement to operation after three years of their absence. As we have set out in the Programme for Government, we are working to ensure that the New Decade, New Approach agreement is implemented in full.
The Government published a series of commitments at the time of the New Decade, New Approach agreement. These commitments are focused on working with the Executive through the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) to deliver projects that benefit people across the island, including greater connectivity between North and South; investing in the North West region and in border communities; supporting the Irish language in Northern Ireland; and supporting reconciliation as an integral part of the Peace Process.
The Government was pleased to host the 24th plenary meeting of the NSMC in Dublin Castle on 31 July, and to see sectoral work underway across the areas of North-South cooperation.
The Government is committed to enhancing, developing and deepening all aspects of North South Cooperation.
The Government is also committed to enhancing the role of the British Irish Council and the British Irish Governmental Conference (BIIGC).
As co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government is prioritising the protection of the Good Friday Agreement and the all island economy in the context of the EU-UK future relationship negotiations, and the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. We continue to raise the Government’s concerns about the impact of Brexit, including most recently in relation to the UK's Internal Market Bill. The Northern Ireland Protocol is specifically designed to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the achievements of the peace process, and any unilateral departure from its implementation is not acceptable.
We have called on the British Government to step back from this deeply concerning approach and to work now to repair the trust that is needed to successfully and faithfully implement the Withdrawal Agreement and Protocol. A positive resolution to this issue is in all our interests.