Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's speech to the BIA conference in Oxford last month was a significant one. He dealt with a number of issues affecting British-Irish relations, including the Good Friday Agreement and the obligations of the two Governments, Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol, legacy issues and the shared island initiative.

On a personal level, I welcome the Taoiseach's remarks about the constitutional position of Northern Ireland when he stated that everyone on the island had the right to make the case for the constitutional future he or she wished to see for Northern Ireland, be that person nationalist or unionist or someone who does not identify with either tradition. That is as it should be and it should be done in a way that takes into account the complex and comprehensive provisions of the Good Friday Agreement. I also welcome that the Taoiseach took the opportunity to promote the shared island initiative and the associated shared island dialogue to a wider audience.

I wish to ask two questions. With the UK now gone from the EU, what initiatives are being taken to re-examine the UK-Irish relationship and to put new structures in place to ensure that it can be further enhanced and developed? As the Taoiseach knows, the UK Government plans to introduce an amnesty for Troubles-related killings. He stated in his speech that he was clear that all bereaved families should have access to an effective investigation and to a process of justice regardless of who the perpetrators were. Has he spoken to the British Prime Minister about this and what is the Taoiseach's assessment of the situation at this stage?

See this speech in context