Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2022
23. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions he or his officials have had recently with the British and Northern Ireland authorities in relation to the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements; the progress being made to create a stable, violence free society there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3295/22]
View answer26. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has discussed the need to implement in full the Good Friday Agreement with the political parties in Stormont; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3906/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 26 together.
The full implementation and effective operation of the Good Friday Agreement and all subsequent agreements is a central priority for this Government. The Agreements, as well as the principles and values underpinning them, are at the core of the Government’s commitment to peace, reconciliation and prosperity on this island. The Peace Process has succeeded over the last two decades in moving definitively beyond the violence of the Troubles. However, it is an ongoing process and the work of peace requires a consistent commitment and renewed efforts in the face of new challenges. Since the conclusion of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, it has been necessary to pursue a series of successive further political and legal agreements to consolidate the peace settlement provided for in the Good Friday Agreement.
Most recently of course, the New Decade New Approach Agreement, reached in January 2020, restored the devolved institutions after a three year absence. The Government is committed to working in support of the full implementation of the NDNA, and the fulfilment of our own commitments made alongside the agreement. An NDNA implementation review meeting is planned to take place in the period immediately ahead, which will provide opportunity to discuss the status of those commitments.
As co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government has continued to work closely on a North/South and East/West basis in support of the devolved power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland, through the mechanisms provided for the Good Friday Agreement, including the North South Ministerial Council, the British Irish Council (BIC) and the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference. (BIIGC).
The most recent BIIGC took place on 2 December in London. In this format, both Governments discussed a broad range of topics relating to Northern Ireland, including the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements. I have also continued to engage regularly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and with the leaders of the parties in Northern Ireland, as we work to ensure progress, stability and address pressing challenges, including the outworkings of Brexit and the legacy of the Troubles.
A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland is a central provision of the GFA. An Ad-Hoc Assembly Committee has been established, and the Committee published its research paper in March 2020, and launched a public consultation in May. The Government remains firmly committed to the provision of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
All parties to the GFA recognised the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity, which in Northern Ireland includes the Irish language, Ulster-Scots and the languages of the various ethnic communities. There is now a commitment in place from the British Government to legislate to implement the relevant provisions of the NDNA agreement if the Northern Ireland Assembly fails to do so.
Progress has also been made regarding the Government’s commitments supporting the Irish language in Northern Ireland, including the allocation of: €3m as part of the commitment in Budget 2021 for Irish language broadcasting; €1.8m over three years (2020-22) to support the Irish language in Northern Ireland; and an All Island expansion of existing Irish Language Network strategy.
The Government continues to support the establishment of a dedicated structure for civic engagement by the Northern Ireland Executive as set out in the Good Friday Agreement under Strand One. In the NDNA agreement, it was agreed that the Compact Civic Advisory Panel would be reformed to propose the most appropriate model for civic engagement on specific issues.
The Government also continues to support the establishment of the North South Consultative Forum, as provided for under Strand Two of the GFA, and has worked to move the issue forward, submitting proposals to the Northern Ireland Executive for its consideration. We have also raised the issue at successive plenary meetings of the North South Ministerial Council.
Furthermore, the Reconciliation Fund, administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, continues to support the vital work of peace and reconciliation. The budget of the Reconciliation Fund will increase to €5.0 million this year, with these funds playing an important role to aiding a wide range of projects and organisations to carry out their impactful work across communities.
