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Northern Ireland

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 April 2021

Thursday, 22 April 2021

Ceisteanna (67)

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

67. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to strengthen North-South and British-Irish political institutions following the commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach agreement and following Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21029/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

It is vital that we continue to work closely on a North/South and East-West basis in support of the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland and the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and successor agreements.

North/South cooperation is a central part of the Good Friday Agreement and will remain a core priority for the Government. We welcome that meetings of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) resumed last year. Regular Ministerial meetings are now taking place across the Council’s twelve policy sectors, advancing areas of practical cooperation to our mutual benefit. The most recent plenary meeting of the NSMC took place 18 December 2020.

We are engaging within the NSMC to find new ways of working in the areas where the underlying EU law no longer applies in Northern Ireland. We are committed to this work, and will be taking it forward with urgency.

In implementing the Protocol, the conditions necessary for continued North South Cooperation will be maintained in a range of areas. The Protocol also recognises that new arrangements building on the Good Friday Agreement, and other areas of North South cooperation, can continue to be made on the island of Ireland.

The Government commitments that were made at the time of the NDNA are focused on working with the Executive through the North South Ministerial Council to deliver projects that benefit people across the island. The first implementation review meeting took place in January of this year. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to the implementation of the NDNA and it is hoped that a second meeting will take place in the period ahead.

The Shared Island Initiative and Shared Island Fund are also very important new dimensions of our work here, with a focus on how we can work together, North and South, to meet major strategic challenges and further develop our shared island economy.

In terms of East-West cooperation, we look forward to enhanced roles for the British Irish Council and British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC), as set out in the Programme for Government.

During last week’s programme of bilateral engagements in London, I reaffirmed the importance of the role of the BIIGC, and my officials are now engaging with the British Government with a view to setting an early date in the period ahead for its next meeting. I joined the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste at the British Irish Council Summit last autumn which was hosted by Scotland, and I look forward to the next Summit meeting to be hosted by Northern Ireland in June.

We are also taking new steps to strengthen the East-West relationship in the post-Brexit context. We are implementing joint action plans with the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland, and will open a Consulate General for the North of England in July.

We will continue to engage intensively with the British Government and all parties in Northern Ireland, as we work in support of the full implementation of the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

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