Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:453. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason that the Government is reluctant to see the appointment of an United States special envoy for Northern Ireland. [34195/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 28 June 2022
Ceisteanna (453, 566)
Brendan Smith
Ceist:566. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had any recent discussions with the United States administration in relation to the appointment of a United States special envoy to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34557/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 566 together.
The United States will continue to play a vital role in supporting peace, stability and prosperity in Northern Ireland. The role of the US Special Envoy to NI has been greatly valued by the Irish government over many years, and the appointment of a new Envoy was something I emphasised in my exchanges during my most recent visit to the United States two months ago.
The longstanding commitment to peace on the island of Ireland continues to be felt strongly in the US. The Good Friday Agreement and the peace process in Northern Ireland are not simply an achievement of the Irish and British Governments and the political representatives of the people of Northern Ireland, but one to which successive US Administrations and Members of Congress have also contributed, on a bipartisan basis.
Senator George Mitchell, the first Special Envoy for Northern Ireland appointed in 1995 by President Bill Clinton, played an instrumental role in building the cross-community consensus vital to achieving the Good Friday Agreement. In the years since, the work of successive Envoys – Richard Haass, Mitchell Reiss, Paula Dobriansky, Declan Kelly, Gary Hart, Mick Mulvaney – has been crucial to ensuring the implementation and protection of the hard-won gains of the peace process.
The Government welcomes all engagement and support by the US in current efforts to ensure the Good Friday Agreement is upheld, and in that context we would welcome the appointment of a US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.