Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 to 34, inclusive, together.

I have been asked a range of questions relating to Northern Ireland, bilateral relations between Ireland and the United Kingdom, British membership of the European Union and various meetings I have had in recent months.

I hosted the last meeting of the British-Irish Council in Dublin Castle on 19 June. The UK Government delegation was led by the UK Secretary of State, Philip Hammond. The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by the First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness. The council discussed the continuing improving economic situation in member administrations, recognising the interdependence and the links between their economies. The council also specifically focused on work being done relating to the misuse of substances. The council discussed the significant harm being caused by alcohol to individuals, families and society.

At the June British-Irish Council I also took the opportunity to have direct talks with the First Minister, Mr. Robinson, and the Deputy First Minister, Mr. McGuinness, in respect of the then current impasse on budgetary and financial matters. This was the last meeting I had with the First Minister, Mr. Robinson, prior to him subsequently temporarily stepping aside as First Minister on 10 September.

I am in regular contact with the UK Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, regarding the situation in Northern Ireland and a range of other issues of mutual interest, including the EU-UK membership negotiations. We regularly use the opportunity of European Council meetings to meet and we did so most recently on 23 September and 15 and 16 October. The Prime Minister and I are in touch by telephone. We spoke on 2 September, following which we jointly invited the parties in Northern Ireland to talks. These talks in Stormont were facilitated by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. My comments in the media at the time outlined the Government's position on the prospects for successful talks. We spoke again by telephone on 20 October regarding the UK assessment of paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland. The decision of those in the Ulster Unionist Party in September to withdraw their Minister from the executive was one they were entitled to make. I am unsure whether it was particularly helpful to the process at the time but I respect their right to make that call. Ultimately, of course, it is intended to make formal arrangements for an effective opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

I met with the then SDLP leader and senior colleagues on 10 September in Government Buildings. We discussed the situation that obtained at that point and the optimum arrangements to ensure that the talks might have a successful outcome. I hope to have an opportunity to meet the new SDLP leader, Mr. Colum Eastwood, later this week.

The US Senator, Gary Hart, special envoy of the USA, also made a welcome visit to Government Buildings on 14 October 2015. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and I expressed our appreciation for the ongoing interest of President Obama's Administration in Northern Ireland and Senator Hart's personal commitment to it. We took stock of the situation at that time and agreed to stay in close contact.

I met the Northern Ireland Minister, Ms Arlene Foster, at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Enniskillen on 8 November. We held a brief exchange on the current political situation in Northern Ireland. I have not yet had the opportunity to meet the new leader of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, Mr. Jeremy Corbyn.

Some questions referred to the UK relationship with the EU. Ministers and Departments are aware of the strategic risks of a withdrawal by the UK from the EU, including risks for Northern Ireland and the Border region. We will continue to deepen our analysis and understanding of the issues at stake in the coming months.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs and other Ministers and senior officials meet their counterparts regularly to discuss the proposals for EU reform and issues that arise for Ireland in that regard. The cabinet committee on EU affairs is monitoring all relevant matters. The challenge for us is to play a constructive role in the negotiations that lie ahead. We are keen to work with the British Government and all our EU partners in that process to find an agreed basis for the UK's continued presence as a member of the European Union.

I am aware of the public comments by Mr. Nigel Farage of UKIP. He has set out his views on the potential impact of the UK leaving the EU on Northern Ireland. I do not agree with his view that the EU had next to no part in the peace process. I believe that the EU has been an important, perhaps underestimated, enabler of peace in Northern Ireland. It was instrumental in facilitating constructive contact and building trust between our Governments to find a political settlement.

Earlier this month, I had another meeting with the UK Prime Minister on 9 November in London. I also addressed the Confederation of British Industry annual conference that day. I discussed with the Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, the UK membership of the EU, a question of major interest to us, including in the Northern Ireland context. Our conversation focused on his letter to the President of the European Council, Mr. Tusk, and our desire to keep Britain in the EU. I reiterated my offer of support where possible in the forthcoming process.

The UK Prime Minister attended the CBI annual conference earlier that morning. In my speech at the conference I set out in some detail the implications for Ireland of a UK vote to withdraw from the EU. While the Prime Minister and I did not discuss the recent ESRI report in detail, it informed the discussion, as it clearly identifies potential adverse economic risks for Ireland and Northern Ireland in the event of a UK exit from the EU. We also discussed ongoing progress in key areas of the comprehensive work programme arising from the joint statement of 2012, including trade promotion and co-operation in respect of defence and security matters. We noted that work continues to be progressed through bilateral contacts between our respective Government officials, including at Secretary General and Permanent Secretary level. A fourth plenary meeting of this group, which oversees the progress on over 20 areas of co-operation, took place on 1 October this year. Delivery on commitments in the joint work programme will be reviewed again at the next annual summit meeting, to be held in the spring. We took stock of the situation regarding the talks in Stormont and the prospect of agreement being reached. I also raised legacy issues with the Prime Minister. On the same day, I travelled to Belfast for a meeting with the Northern Ireland First Minister, Mr. Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Mr. McGuinness. We discussed the issues in greater detail, including the scope for financial support for certain infrastructure projects with all-island benefits.

We also discussed the measures being negotiated to deal with the unacceptable vestiges of paramilitarism and the corrosive effects of organised crime on both sides of the Border. We discussed the measures being taken to address the legacy of the past, including mechanisms to ensure that the arrangements agreed in the Stormont House agreement would be made to work for the benefit of survivors, victims and their families. I took the opportunity to urge the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to ensure that any emerging agreement would have the maximum possible support of other parties.

As the House is aware, the talks in Northern Ireland concluded successfully last week. The agreement addresses the key issues of welfare reform and financial stability within Northern Ireland. It also makes important progress on dealing with the legacy of the past, albeit that it did not conclude on the full range of issues. I very much hope that this will be done in the coming weeks.

The agreement also contains clear commitments to achieve a society free of paramilitarism and to work to disband paramilitary groups. The agreement contains important measures to tackle cross-Border organised crime, including a new task force led by officials from the PSNI and An Garda Síochána and Revenue officers from both jurisdictions. However, as always, this agreement will ultimately be judged on its implementation.

The title of the agreement is A Fresh Start, and this is precisely what the people of Northern Island will wish to see. They deserve not only a fresh start, but a sustained commitment by all of the parties in Northern Ireland to a complete transition of their economy and society. In my contribution to the British-Irish Association in Cambridge last September, I set out my vision for an island which is defined by optimism, hope and opportunity. At the heart of that vision are efficient, effective and representative devolved institutions working for the common good on a sustainable basis. There must also be co-operation to build the island economy through overseas investment, trade, tourism and utilising a competitive common corporation tax rate.

This is the real work agenda. It is one that must be processed through the agreed structures and processes that we have now put in place. In this regard, I am due to be in London for the next meeting of the British-Irish Council on Friday, 27 November. I will also attend the next meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, which was rescheduled because of the ongoing talks and which I hope will take place in early December. As co-guarantors of the agreements, the Irish and UK Governments will continue to work closely together to further consolidate peace and reconciliation in the North and to further embed peace and the normalisation of politics in Northern Ireland generally.

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