Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy would expect, there is close co-operation between my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has primary responsibility for matters relating to Northern Ireland, North-South co-operation and British-Irish relations. Officials from the two Departments work very closely together across the range of issues relating to Northern Ireland and British-Irish affairs.

Within my Department, the Northern Ireland section supports me, in my role as Taoiseach, on Northern Ireland matters. It supports me in my contacts with the British Prime Minister in the context of the role of the two Governments as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement and in the ongoing efforts to secure the restoration of the institutions under the agreement.

It also assists me with my participation in key institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, such as the North-South Ministerial Council, when operational, and the British-Irish Council and in other aspects of cross-Border engagement and co-operation.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has the lead role in respect of the day-to-day interaction with the Northern Ireland institutions, when they are operating, the Northern Ireland political parties and the Northern Ireland Office. As part of this role, that Department provides staff and funding to the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference secretariat in Belfast and the North-South Ministerial Council joint secretariat in Armagh.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and his staff are also in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the main political parties in Northern Ireland regarding matters of concern to the Irish Government, including issues relating to the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, talks on the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and, of course, Brexit.

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