Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the members for their contribution. On behalf of the committee I thank H. E. Mr. Paul Johnston, British ambassador to Ireland for his engagement today and for discussing a wide range of issues with members of the committee. I also thank Ms Michelle Lacriarde, first secretary, and Sarah Mohipp, second secretary, for their attendance today and for engaging with the committee.

In a note on parliamentary privilege for members, before we begin I remind members of the constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex. Members of the committee attending remotely must do so from the precincts of Leinster House. This is due to the constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit. In that regard, I ask members partaking via MS Teams that prior to making their contribution to the meeting, they confirm they are here on the grounds of Leinster House.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to the identifiable person or entity, I will direct them to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative they comply with any such directions. MPs participating in this committee session from a jurisdiction outside of the State are advised they should also be mindful of their domestic laws and how they may apply in their proceedings.

I thank His Excellency very much for his participation here this morning. It was a very robust and good engagement. However, in advance of his own departure from his role in September, I would like to put on the public record my thanks and appreciation to him and that of our committee here for all of the work he has done in his tenure as ambassador since 2020. The relationship between our two countries is a very significant one for all of us on the island and for the people of both islands. The Good Friday Agreement has transformed the way in which it is possible to deal with these issues as they arise on a basis of consultation and co-operation. In recent years, we have needed the ability to talk frankly to each other as neighbours and friends on both political and economic issues. In that context, I particularly thank and pay tribute to Mr. Johnston for the role he has carried out as British ambassador here in Ireland. He has maintained dialogue and understanding in all his engagements with the Government and the Oireachtas here and with a wide range of stakeholders. On the issue of stakeholders, I note the amount of ground he covered. He has gone to every corner of the country and really has made a great effort to engage right across Ireland. That has been appreciated. That strengthened his presence here in Ireland, while engaging with members of the Oireachtas as well.

I am pleased of course that we are not losing him and that he has chosen not to depart these lands. I wish him and his wife, Nicola, all the very best in their stay here in Ireland. On behalf of the committee, I thank him again for all the work he has carried out to strengthen the relations between our two countries throughout his time here in Ireland. I wish the ambassador and Nicola all the very best in the future.

Would the ambassador like to say few words?

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Mr. Johnston. Will he be still in situ for the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, BIPA?

H.E. Mr. Paul Johnston:

No, because the BIPA is in October. My term ends on 21 September.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I wish the ambassador well in his retirement. He came to Ireland in 2020 after many of his predecessors came on perhaps a different mission. He had Brexit and the driving agenda was more economic and trade for the past five years. It speaks volumes that, having served all over Europe that he fell in love with this beautiful country in five years and now hopes to make it home, going forward, for himself and Nicola. I wish him well in retirement. I thank him for all his work in helping UK-Irish relations in the past five years. I look forward to meeting his successor, who will hopefully continue the great work.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
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I again thank the ambassador for his engagement this morning. It was a full and frank engagement, as is always the case with him. I wish him well in his retirement. We have had the opportunity this morning to talk on a number of categories. Although a huge range of issues were covered, generally speaking it was on legacy, the general approach taken by the British Government and many individual cases, not least the Sean Brown case. We talked about Brexit-related issues, which are and will remain ongoing for economic growth throughout the island and the need to mitigate against those matters and also the issues around the full implementation of the agreement and the lessons from the Good Friday Agreement, not only for this island and the relationship between our islands, but how those can be applied and how it is incumbent on the British Government to recognise that when dealing with such issues as the Middle East and Gaza, as well as the need for ceasefires and peacebuilding in other parts of the world, given the experience we have had.

Perhaps the most important issue for us as a committee in relation to the Good Friday Agreement is making sure of its ongoing full implementation. The ambassador himself acknowledged the constitutional debate that is ongoing. We are facing into the most significant change since the Good Friday Agreement and it is necessary for both Governments, as co-guarantors to the Good Friday Agreement, to make sure that is the template that will be followed through as we discuss and implement constitutional change on the islands. I thank him once again for his contribution and his input.

Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail)
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As he departs in the next number of weeks I wish the ambassador and his wife well on their next chapter.

In the past four years, there were times when relations were quite strained and discussions between Ireland and Britain were quite strained due to the legacy issues. We are now on a much more positive trajectory. It is great to see relations now on that platform. We are doing all we can to work out those issues. Long may that approach continue.

Moreover, as members of the committee on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, the one thing we must recognise is that when the Good Friday Agreement was agreed, it was the one time on the island that everybody said "Yes". Sometimes we forget that. At times we are inclined to jump too far forward, without all the actors being involved. As a committee, we must learn from the past and do more to engage, in particular with the unionist community. We do not see many of them here. The ambassador might be able to add some persuasion in that regard. We must ensure that we have much greater unionist participation on this committee in order for the work that we do to have real teeth, and to have real findings and conclusions. Moreover, we want to work towards a constitutional conclusion that is good for all of the island and all the people on it. That is the only way it will work.

I thank the ambassador for his time and all his efforts. Every time he was asked, he made himself available and he made time. We really appreciate his efforts and wish him well in the future.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I am sorry because I had to drop out. My colleague, Senator Murphy, has gone through the issues we raised in the private session.

I thank the ambassador for his time here. I am glad he enjoyed it. I also thank him for his interest in all of the Twenty-six Counties. Obviously, my absolute desire is that we will have a British ambassador some time soon who will cover all the Thirty-two Counties. He will understand why I say that. We will continue with the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement in all of its parts.

I wish the ambassador and Nicola well for the future. I am glad they are staying here, along with the thousands of other British people who live happily in the south of our island. I heard he might be going in the education direction. It is very important that education is brought under the North-South Ministerial Council. I hope he will work with us to ensure that is done.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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That was very diplomatically handled by the ambassador. I notice he did not flinch.

On behalf of the committee, I again thank the ambassador for his time this morning and for engaging with committee members on a broad range of issues. He has done that several times during his term in Ireland.

Is it agreed that we go back into private session? Agreed.