Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 June 2023
14. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on efforts to restore the political institutions in Northern Ireland established under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27335/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra25. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of his most recent discussions with the political parties in Northern Ireland in relation to the need to have the Assembly and the Executive restored at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28844/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra27. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts of him and his Department to assist in re-establishing the Northern Ireland Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27989/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra44. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for a report on efforts to restore the power sharing executive in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28139/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 25, 27 and 44 together.
The full and effective implementation and operation of the Good Friday Agreement across all three Strands is a key priority for this Government: the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland; the North South Ministerial Council and the Cross Border Bodies; as well as the East-West institutions. The Agreement is designed so that these institutions support and reinforce one another.
As a co-Guarantor of the Agreement, with the British government, we have a responsibility to work with the Northern Ireland parties and, when appropriate, our international partners to ensure the full and effective operation of the Good Friday Agreement, and all its institutions. I deeply regret that the Assembly has not sat in over a year, and that the people of Northern Ireland are not being represented by their elected MLAs, particularly given the current challenges faced by the people of Northern Ireland.
I was in Northern Ireland last week and heard first-hand the impact that the absence of an Executive is having on communities. Essential services, such as education and healthcare are hugely stretched to capacity. This is having a direct, detrimental impact on those who are most vulnerable. Urgent solutions are required, but they cannot be found without local political leadership. Without the power-sharing institutions, the situation will only continue to deteriorate. It is essential that we continue to do all that we can to encourage a return of the Assembly and Executive as soon as possible, within the framework of the Good Friday Agreement.
From my contacts with parties, including while I was in Northern Ireland last week, it is very clear that there is a genuine desire to get the Executive back up and running. I believe there is a window of opportunity in the aftermath of the local elections to restore of the Executive and the Assembly and I would urge members of all parties to take their seats so that the issues facing Northern Ireland can be addressed. People in Northern Ireland deserve to be represented by the politicians that they elected in May 2022.
I am also in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in regard to the restoration of the institutions. This will be a key focus of discussions at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, which I will attend in London next week. The Government will continue to work closely on a North-South and an East-West basis in support of the devolved power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland and the full implementation of all of the Strands of the Good Friday Agreement and as well as subsequent agreements.
