Neale Richmond
Question:12. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his most recent conversation with the UK Foreign Secretary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3073/22]
View answerThursday, 27 January 2022
Questions (12)
Written answers
On 6 January, I met with the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Elizabeth Truss, M.P. This followed calls between us in October and December last year. We discussed the ongoing EU-UK discussions on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, bilateral relations, developments in Northern Ireland and current foreign policy priorities.
With regard to the ongoing EU-UK discussions, I emphasised that Ireland and the EU remain fully committed to providing certainty and stability for people and business in Northern Ireland. I noted that the Protocol is the joint EU–UK solution to mitigate against the disruption Brexit causes for citizens and businesses on the island of Ireland and that it can work if we allow it to, with flexibility and pragmatism. As you will know, Commission Vice President Šefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss held meetings on 13-14 January, and earlier this week on 24 January.
With reference to the wider context, I raised my ongoing commitment to work towards strengthening bilateral relations post-Brexit and suggested approaches to consider. We discussed the importance of intensifying inter-parliamentary links and ongoing collaboration in key sectors.
With regard to developments in Northern Ireland, I spoke in favour of a partnership approach between our governments based on the Good Friday Agreement. I also outlined the Government’s consistent position in relation to legacy and the importance of a collective approach to find an agreed way forward on this most sensitive of issues.
We also discussed our ongoing cooperation on the UN Security Council, as well as a range of global and foreign policy issues, including developments in Ukraine.
Question No. 13 answered orally.