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Northern Ireland

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Questions (106, 107)

Seán Haughey

Question:

106. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will renew his efforts to implement the provisions of the Belfast, Good Friday Agreement; if he will enlist the support of the two Governments and all parties in Northern Ireland to make the Agreement work; if meetings of the North-South Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference will take place regularly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23945/21]

View answer

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

107. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the communication he has had with the UK Government regarding the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24032/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together.

The full implementation and effective operation of the Good Friday Agreement and all subsequent implementing agreements is an utmost priority for this Government.

The Government regularly engages with and supports the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland through the institutions provided for under the Good Friday Agreement, the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and the British Irish Council (BIC).

The NSMC is essential to overseeing and developing North South cooperation on matters of mutual interest, including the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The important work of the NSMC to develop cooperation on an all-island basis has resumed following the NDNA agreement. Two successful NSMC plenary meetings have now taken place, as well as a number of Sectoral meetings at Ministerial level, and progress continues across the breadth of North-South areas of cooperation.

The Irish Government commitments that were made at the time of the New Decade New Agreement (NDNA) are focused on working with the Executive through the 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 first implementation review meeting took place in January of this year, which I attended with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the First Minister and deputy First Minister. It is hoped that we can arrange a second implementation review meeting in the period ahead. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to ensuring the sustainable and effective operation of all the devolved institutions, and committed themselves to the ongoing implementation of NDNA.

The Government also looks forward to enhanced roles for the British Irish Council and British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC), as set out in the Programme for Government.

The BIC brings together: the Irish Government; UK Government; Scottish Government; Northern Ireland Executive; Welsh Government; Isle of Man Government; Government of Jersey and Government of Guernsey to “promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands”. The Government has participated in a range of BIC meetings this year on a diverse range of topics including: collaborative spatial planning, housing, and digital inclusion. We will continue to engage with the BIC in the period ahead.

The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) is an important institution of the Good Friday Agreement, bringing together the British and Irish Governments under Strand Three of the Agreement to promote bilateral co-operation on matters of mutual interest within the competence of both Governments. The Agreement provides for meetings of the Conference concerned with non-devolved Northern Ireland matters on which the Irish Government may put forward views and proposals. It also provides that the Conference may consider all-island cross-border co-operation on non-devolved issues.

I have been in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis with regard to the BIIGC. I travelled to London for a series of engagements with the British Government in mid-April, including meetings with the Secretary of State, Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb and Minister of State to the Cabinet Office David Frost. Then, on 5 May, I met again with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in Dublin. During these programmes of bilateral engagements, I reaffirmed the importance of the role of the BIIGC. At our meeting on 5 May, it was agreed that we would hold the next meeting in June.

The achievements of the peace process must never be taken for granted and we will continue to work with both the British Government and the Northern Executive to protect and uphold the Good Friday Agreement and its institutions in all circumstances.

Questions Nos. 108 and 109 answered with Question No. 57.
Question No. 110 answered with Question No. 61.
Question No. 111 answered with Question No. 57.
Question No. 112 answered with Question No. 54.
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