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Brexit Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Questions (82, 87)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

82. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the work undertaken to date and the future plans to ensure to mitigate the impact of Brexit on the objectives and commitments contained in the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23943/21]

View answer

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Question:

87. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the work being done to mitigate the impact of Brexit on the objectives and commitments contained in the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24035/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 87 together.

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland addresses the complex set of unique challenges presented by Brexit on the island of Ireland. An integral part of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, it is the agreed way to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement, to avoid a hard border and protect the integrity of the Single Market.

North South cooperation, a central part of the Good Friday Agreement, is protected under the Protocol, which recognises that new North South arrangements can continue to be made. The NSMC brings our Government and the Northern Ireland Executive together to oversee and further develop this cooperation. We look forward to further progress in this regard.

The Protocol also provides for no diminution of the rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity for the people of Northern Ireland, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement. It is also important to recall that the Protocol affirms Northern Ireland’s constitutional status as set out in the Good Friday Agreement and that the Principle of Consent continues to apply.

The Common Travel Area (CTA) means Irish and British citizens can live, work, and move freely between both jurisdictions. It is recognised in both the Protocol and the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement; it will be maintained in all circumstances. The CTA underpins the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts.

We continue to pursue East West cooperation and are seeking to strengthen those relationships. Implementation of the Protocol, and the ongoing implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, were the focus of a meeting between the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Johnson on 27 April and of my own visit to London last month. I look forward to participating in the next British-Irish Council Summit in Northern Ireland, and to a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, both taking place next month.

Our shared goal must be to achieve the Protocol’s full implementation. We welcome ongoing close engagement between the UK and EU on this. We are listening carefully to all concerns in Northern Ireland and welcome recent joint EU-UK outreach with stakeholders. We are committed to supporting EU-UK engagement to address these concerns appropriately.

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