Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 to 36, inclusive, together.

On 10 November, I welcomed a delegation from the US House of Representatives for a courtesy meeting at Government Buildings. The delegation was led by Congressman Bill Keating, a member of the Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber. Congressman Keating was accompanied by Congressman Brian Higgins and Congressman Juan Vargas, all recently re-elected members of Congress. The delegation was visiting for a four-day programme in Ireland and Northern Ireland, which included a number of economic, civil and community engagements, with a particular emphasis on education and social inclusion. At my meeting with them, the delegation was accompanied by the US ambassador, H.E. Claire Cronin.

Our discussions covered a broad range of issues including the political situation in Northern Ireland, prospects for implementation of the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, international support for Ukraine and the outcome of the recent midterm elections in the United States, as well as Ireland-US bilateral relations. We also discussed cybersecurity, data privacy, and the global energy crisis. Congressman Keating and the other members of the delegation expressed their firm commitment to peace, prosperity and progress in Northern Ireland. They accepted that there are genuine concerns about aspects of the implementation of the protocol among some parts of the community in Northern Ireland, but shared our assessment that these can be addressed through substantive good-faith engagement by the United Kingdom with the European Union.

We noted the decision of the British Government to introduce legislation to delay the need to call elections in Northern Ireland and welcomed the space this creates for reaching agreement solutions that facilitate the formation of an Executive. We also discussed the programme of work of the shared island initiative since its launch in October 2020, including its aim of building a shared island agenda, fostering inclusive civic dialogue, commissioning research on the future of the island and delivering beneficial all-island investment projects, backed by a shared island fund of more than €1 billion. I expressed my appreciation for the continued unequivocal support of the US Administration and both Houses of Congress for the peace process and for the Good Friday Agreement. This has been of enormous value over decades and reflects the deep and historic ties between our countries.

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