Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 June 2023
146. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to indicate the ongoing role for his office/Department in the development of supports for the Good Friday Agreement/Shared Island Initiative which requires his participation and support. [28569/23]
View answerThe full and effective operation of all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement across all three strands is a key priority for this Government.
The people of Northern Ireland are entitled to a functioning Assembly and Executive. In recent weeks we have seen cuts to services that will affect Northern Ireland's most vulnerable. It is vital that the people of Northern Ireland are represented by the politicians that they elected in May 2022.
The absence of a functioning Executive also has knock-on effects on the operation of Strand Two of the Agreement, which has been severely disrupted in recent years. It is vital that the North South Ministerial Council is allowed to continue its work as soon as possible.
I spoke with political representatives in Northern Ireland last week and reiterated the urgent need for a restoration of the power-sharing institutions. This is also a matter that I discuss regularly with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris.
The Government also continues to prioritise East-West cooperation and engagement through the Strand III institutions. This week, I will attend the 39th Summit of the British-Irish Council in Jersey and, next week, the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London. These forums provide a unique platform to build relations across these islands and to address common challenges such as climate sustainability, building for the future, and protecting our unique cultures and individual languages. Members of this House also support Strand III engagement through their work with the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly.
The Government will continue to work across all strands of the Good Friday Agreement in support of the devolved power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland.
We will continue to seek ways and opportunities to work with all communities, and with a new Executive, to harness the power of what we can achieve when we work together and to build consensus around our shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
This includes the Government’s Shared Island Initiative, through which we are working with all communities to build a vision for our shared future. Over the past two years, we have taken forward this ambitious agenda by progressing North South infrastructure projects, bringing all communities together through our Shared Island Dialogue series, and delivering a comprehensive research programme to inform inclusive dialogue on the future of our island. My Department continues to play an active role in delivering on the objectives of the Shared Island Initiative, including through our Shared Island Civic Society Fund.
I look forward to continuing to work with our partners in Northern Ireland and the UK to further develop the Shared Island Initiative in the period ahead.
