Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
86. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his engagements with the British Government regarding the protection of the Good Friday Agreement and recent comments in relation to the Irish Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24261/21]
View answerI have been in regular contact with British Government Ministers in recent weeks. I travelled to London for a series of engagements in late April, including meetings with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, and I met again with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland last week in Dublin.
In these engagements, we discussed the importance of calm, measured leadership and of our two Governments working together to support the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.
I also discussed the implementation of the New Decade New Approach agreement with the Secretary of State. The two Governments will continue to work to support the full implementation of the NDNA Agreement; for our part, the Government will deliver on our own commitments under the NDNA.
We have agreed to hold a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in June. The 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. It is imperative that we continue to work closely on a North/South and East-West basis in support of the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland and the North-South Ministerial Council, and the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent implementing agreements.
Issues relating to implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland are regularly discussed in our ongoing contacts with British Government counterparts. Throughout our engagements, I have continued to make clear that our shared goal must be full implementation of the Protocol, which was negotiated between the UK and the EU to address the challenges caused by Brexit on the island of Ireland. It is the agreed way to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement, to avoid a hard border and protect the EU Single Market.
