Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Last Wednesday, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I convened a quarterly review meeting of the Fresh Start and Stormont House agreements. The First and Deputy First Minister represented the Executive, as did the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice. As well as the review meeting, I held separate bilateral meetings with the Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, the SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, the leader of the Alliance Party, David Ford, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness. Naturally, the outcome of the UK referendum on the EU was a key element of each of these meetings. I took the opportunity to assure all those I met of the priority the Government attaches to the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the referendum. I emphasised the necessity and importance of working together in the best interests of the people on this island. I reiterated the Government's commitment to work in support of stability, reconciliation and prosperity in Northern Ireland. In this regard, the Government will use its influence with our EU partners to seek to persuade them of the need for specific arrangements which protect the key gains of the peace process on this island, a process to which the EU has already made a key contribution.

In addition, I outlined that the common travel area and cross-Border EU funding are key priorities for the Government in the period ahead.

I am very conscious of the deep concerns and anxiety that have arisen for many people across the community in Northern Ireland about the outcome of the referendum. The fact that the majority within Northern Ireland who voted to remain now face their preference being set aside as a result of the overall result across the United Kingdom raises profound and important issues.

In this regard, in my meeting with the Secretary of State, we agreed that the Good Friday Agreement would remain the foundation for the two Governments’ approach to Northern Ireland. The EU referendum result does not by any manner or means alter or diminish the centrality of the Good Friday Agreement or the requirement on both the British and Irish Governments to uphold it. As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement and succeeding agreements, the Irish Government remains determined that its institutions, values and principles, including the right to be British or Irish or both, will be fully protected.

See this speech in context