Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement remains a priority of the Government and continues to be a key focus in contacts with the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government. The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, discussed implementation of the Agreement at their meeting in London on 18 June, underlining the collective benefit of full implementation. To continue to take forward this work, the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Sherlock, and I attended an implementation and review meeting on the Stormont House Agreement in Belfast on 25 June. This was an important opportunity to take stock of progress, including in the context of the ongoing political impasse in relation to welfare reform and wider budgetary issues. The meeting considered and approved for publication a progress report which outlined overall implementation of the agreement, including work towards establishing new mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the past. In addition to the new mechanisms, the Northern Ireland Executive has undertaken to take appropriate steps to improve the way the legacy inquest function is conducted to comply with the requirements of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

While good progress has been made across many of the Agreement's work streams, a way forward needs to be found in relation to the ongoing impasse on welfare reform and wider budgetary issues. There is a limited window of opportunity to resolve these issues. It is essential that the political leaders in Northern Ireland face up to their responsibility to find a sustainable solution to the issues at hand and intensify their efforts in delivering the Agreement as a whole. The Irish Government will continue to support this collective effort.

With regard to the devolution of fiscal powers from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Assembly, this matter has been progressed by the British Government and the necessary Westminster legislation to allow for devolution of corporation tax was completed in March. The commencement of the legislation will be a matter for the British Government in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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