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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 , 78 , 101, 112 and 116 together. The full and effective operation of all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement is a key priority for this Government, across all three strands: the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland; the North South Ministerial Council and the cross-Border bodies; and the east-west institutions. The agreement is designed so these institutions support and reinforce one another.

As a co-guarantor of the agreement, together with the British Government, we have a particular responsibility to see these institutions operate as effectively as possible and delivering to the collective benefit of all of our citizens. The people of Northern Ireland are entitled to a functioning Assembly and Executive. Their vote in last May's Assembly elections must be respected, so that the political leadership required if the urgent issues facing communities and families are to be addressed is there. These issues include improving access to healthcare, educational attainment and other core service delivery issues.

The last several weeks have seen positive momentum which must now be harnessed. It is understandable that Assembly parties will require time to study the Windsor Framework, but this can be done in parallel to delay getting the institutions up and running. I remain in regular contact with political representatives in Northern Ireland, reiterating the urgent need for a functioning Assembly and Executive.

The absence of a functioning Executive also has knock-on effects for the operation of strand 2 of the agreement. I am deeply concerned that the work of the North South Ministerial Council has been severely disrupted in recent years. In the absence of regular North South Ministerial Council meetings, the two Administrations on the island are not having the important kinds of conversations that we should be having to address shared challenges and opportunities.

It is vital that the council is allowed to continue its work as soon as possible. I am in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with restoration of the institutions being a core focus of our discussions. I have also reiterated the importance of the principles of consent and of parity of esteem, and the enduring need for close co-operation between the two Governments on any matters that might touch upon the delicate balances that underpin the Good Friday Agreement.

The Secretary of State and I also met at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference under strand 3 of the agreement in Dublin earlier this year. In all of our contacts, we discussed the importance that both Governments attach to the full functioning of the institutions provided for under the Good Friday Agreement.

I will meet the Secretary of State a number of times in the weeks ahead. We remain in close and regular contact.

I emphasise the importance of the east-west strand as a locus for practical co-operation, including as a focal point for practical co-operation between the various jurisdictions of these islands. The British-Irish Council addresses such issues as climate, energy and broader sustainability concerns. The most recent council summit took place in Blackpool on 11 November 2022, where I met the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. The 39th British-Irish Council summit is due to be hosted in Jersey later this year. These regular engagements are positive and I look forward to our administrations continuing this important work.

I assure the Dáil that this Government will continue to work with our Northern Ireland and UK counterparts across all three strands of the agreement. I am also conscious that interparliamentary links are strong and that many Members of this House met their Northern Ireland and UK counterparts at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly extraordinary plenary to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. On behalf of the Government, I commend them on their important contribution, in doing that, to building east-west and North-South relations. Working together, the Government of Ireland, the British Government and the Northern Ireland parties can help to build a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Northern Ireland and strengthen ties across these islands. Part of this includes the continued development of a closely integrated all-island economy, which is one of the key dividends of the peace process and remains a priority.

Building on the stability provided for by the Windsor Framework, the Government will continue to work to create an enabling environment for businesses, North and South, to grow cross-Border trade and further unlock the potential of the all-island economy. The Government will continue to work closely on a North-South and east-west basis in support of the devolved power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland and the full implementation of all strands of the Good Friday Agreement, as well as subsequent agreements. It is important to stress the interdependence of strands 1, 2 and 3 of the Good Friday Agreement and, in the context of the implementation of the Windsor Framework and working with the UK Government and the European Commission, we are clear the agreement arrived at between the European Union and the United Kingdom has to be implemented in good faith and consistent with the terms of the EU-UK agreement. Notwithstanding what I said earlier, there is a need to restore the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement for the people of Northern Ireland, who deserve their mandate to be validated. The continuing frustration of the rights of the people of Northern Ireland in that respect is not satisfactory.

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