Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 November 2023
237. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he remains satisfied that the Irish and British Governments’ roles as guarantors of the peace process continue to be fulfilled in a meaningful way, to the greatest extent possible to ensure the continuity of the peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52896/23]
View answerIn the Good Friday Agreement, the participants, including the two Governments 'committed to partnership, equality and mutual respect as the basis of relationships within Northern Ireland, between North and South, and between these islands.' It is my firm view that progress towards a better, more reconciled, Northern Ireland is best delivered through partnership between the two Governments, on the basis of that commitment we made in 1998. Such partnership requires cooperation, coordination and trust. Unilateral departures from this approach - such as the UK's Legacy Act - are not in keeping with our shared responsibilities as guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement.
An improved spirit of partnership is needed if the Agreement's potential if to be fulfilled and genuine reconciliation is to be achieved. This is a point I have made in the clearest terms to my British counterparts.
This Government is committed to strengthening our relationship with our British counterparts, in particular through the framework of the Good Friday Agreement, which explicitly recognises the importance of East-West relationships in Strand Three. I am pleased that we hosted the British-Irish Council Summit on 23-24 November in Dublin Castle and met with the British Government and other BIC member administrations.
On Tuesday I hosted a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, also established under strand three of the Good Friday Agreement, in Dublin. The Conference enables engagement on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the United Kingdom and Irish Governments. In particular I discussed efforts to restore the Strand One and Strand Two institutions with Secretary of State Heaton Harris and his ministerial colleagues at that meeting.
Those meetings underline the importance of structures of the Good Friday Agreement for engagement between the two Governments, providing a framework for our partnership. They also underline the importance of getting the full range of Good Friday Institutions up and running, across all its three Strands.
