Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will and I do. The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, has been more than active in his activities in Northern Ireland in dealing with all the parliamentary parties, the leaders and so on. I called the deputy First Minister myself, as Deputy Adams is aware, to have a conversation and express the hope that he will recover his full health. I have always recognised that Martin McGuinness has come on a long journey from being a member of the army council of the IRA to someone who became a pragmatist and who has held out on many occasions to drive the peace process and the institutions forward. It is our co-responsibility to ensure that all of that is implemented. Deputy Adams should believe me that our interest is that the institutions set up under the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements will work in the interests of all the peoples of Northern Ireland.

The outcome of the election on 3 March is a matter for the electorate in Northern Ireland and I hope that when it is concluded it will be possible to put together an Executive and assembly that will continue to work through the institutions. Last summer, the deputy First Minister and the First Minister signed a joint letter which they sent to the Prime Minister to indicate their initial thoughts on Brexit. They commented on the necessity to eliminate smuggling and criminality, to work in the interests of the economies North and South and the many people who cross the Border and the need to avoid a return to the Border of the past and so on. In that regard, the former deputy First Minister is very clear on my own view in this regard.

It is our job and it is the Government's response to keep all parties here informed on the issues about Brexit and in so far as Northern Ireland is concerned. Take my word for it. We will have a very active, energetic and enthusiastic dialogue with the next Administration of the assembly and the Executive of Northern Ireland in respect of the fulfilment of all of the conditions of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements. I have made that point to the Prime Minister on a number of occasions. She is due to visit Government Buildings in the near future and I intend to take up those discussions about that aspect of it but also about the analysis of her comments today in Lancaster House on Britain's decision to exit and leave the European Union.

In so far as Northern Ireland is concerned, the people will make their decision in respect of the election, which I hope is conducted on a reasonably civil basis. I also hope that the issues to be argued, discussed and conversed about up there will bring about a situation where we can have an assembly and Executive after 3 March.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, will continue to be very closely associated with Secretary Brokenshire in terms of the conversations they must have, and the civic dialogue which is already in place will continue. I understand the next meeting is on 17 February. Many other connections are ongoing.

At the last North-South Ministerial Council a very good and constructive set of propositions was put together. As the Deputy knows, the Government has contributed to many cross-Border activities in Northern Ireland and will continue to do so. Our job, as one co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, is to see that we work through the assembly and Executive to make sure the institutions are enabled to work on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland. That is where our political priority andimprimaturlie. Obviously, we do not want to see a return to what happened in the past.

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