Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 July 2017
412. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the meetings he has had with his British counterparts regarding the objective of protecting the Good Friday Agreement after Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36245/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra417. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with specific reference to Brexit and its impact on Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36421/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 417 together.
As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, I lead on coordinating the whole-of-Government approach to the EU-UK negotiations and to our preparations for Brexit, with a view to mitigating the impacts to the maximum extent possible and securing the best possible outcome for Ireland.
In this role, I intend to build further on the excellent work carried out over recent months, which has ensured that Ireland’s key interests – as set out in the Government’s comprehensive document of 2 May on our approach to the Brexit negotiations – have been fully reflected in the EU’s negotiating position. Protecting the gains of the peace process is a central priority for the Government in dealing with Brexit. This includes: ensuring that all provisions of the Good Friday Agreement are fully respected and upheld; avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and; maintaining the Common Travel Area.
Engagement with the UK is part of this work. In this regard, I met with the UK’s Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis, in London on 6 July and I held a bilateral with the UK’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 July. I have also discussed the challenges that Brexit presents for the Peace Process and Northern Ireland, with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire and with the leaders of the political parties in Northern Ireland.
In all of these engagements, I have laid particular emphasis on Ireland’s objective of protecting the gains of the peace process and the need to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government is determined that all aspects of the Agreement are fully respected through the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, and thereafter. Our priority is to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement and the overall integrity of the settlement is not in any way disturbed by the UK’s exit from the European Union.
The Government will continue to work to ensure that all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement are respected in the EU-UK negotiations, and will be proactive in working to mitigate all impacts of Brexit on the island of Ireland, consulting and working closely with civil society, North and South.
