Skip to main content
Normal View

Brexit Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 June 2021

Thursday, 24 June 2021

Questions (276, 277, 278)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

276. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he remains in constant engagement with the UK authorities and both communities in Northern Ireland with a view to ensuring that logistical and political difficulties caused by Brexit are not allowed to undermine the Good Friday Agreement or the Northern Ireland Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34206/21]

View answer

Bernard Durkan

Question:

277. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he can continue to liaise with both communities in Northern Ireland and the British Government with a view to ensuring that Brexit-related issues are not allowed to damage the peace agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34207/21]

View answer

Bernard Durkan

Question:

278. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he continues to engage with the British Government with a view to ensuring that Brexit-caused difficulties are not allowed to undermine the Good Friday Agreement or the Northern Ireland Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34208/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 to 278, inclusive, together.

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

I am in regular and ongoing contact with British government counterparts and with political leaders and other stakeholders in Northern Ireland on implementation of the Protocol. We all have a responsibility to listen to the genuine concerns and engage with citizens, businesses, politicians and community leaders in the North. We also have to be clear there is no agreed alternative to the problems caused by Brexit on the island of Ireland besides the Protocol – a solution which was jointly negotiated, jointly agreed and which now needs to be jointly implemented. 

It is important to reiterate that the Protocol makes no change to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland as set down in the Good Friday Agreement. The Protocol prevents a hard border on this island and protect the gains of the Good Friday Agreement.

Throughout these engagements, I have continued to make clear that our shared goal must be full implementation of the Protocol to minimise the disruption caused by Brexit in Northern Ireland. I have welcomed the ongoing engagement between the EU and the UK on outstanding issues and stressed the need for these outstanding issues to be dealt with by the UK and the EU working together, in partnership.  

I also continue to listen carefully to the genuine concerns that are there and will continue to advocate for appropriate flexibilities with regard to implementation within the framework of the Protocol, so that the negative impact of Brexit on the people of Northern Ireland is minimised. This has always been the aim of the Protocol: to minimise the disruption which Brexit was inevitably going to cause for Northern Ireland. 

Question No. 277 answered with Question No. 276.
Question No. 278 answered with Question No. 276.
Top
Share