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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

On 19 April, I was delighted to give the closing address, along with Prime Minister Sunak, to the three-day conference at Queen's University to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel; the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; and former US President Bill Clinton also gave keynote speeches at this closing session, chaired by former Secretary of State, and now Chancellor of Queen's University, Hillary Clinton. It was great to hear a diversity of perspectives and to participate in such an interesting programme. A shared theme across all contributions was the political and personal courage of those who forged the agreement and their recognition that mutual co-operation and understanding was the only viable way forward. We all hope that what was learnt then can be applied to Northern Ireland today.

While I was at Queen's University, I had a short bilateral meeting with President von der Leyen, during which we discussed the political situation in Northern Ireland and the Windsor Framework, as well as our recent international engagements, including President Biden’s visit here and her visit to China. I also briefly met President Clinton to talk about developments in Northern Ireland. I had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sunak, where we discussed developments in Northern Ireland and the wider British-Irish relationship, as well as the broader domestic and global challenges. Our shared priority is the return of a functioning Assembly and Executive, and we committed to working together in the period ahead in ongoing support of the Agreement and its institutions. We discussed the potential economic opportunities ahead for Northern Ireland and the scope for further strengthening the British-Irish relationship. I also raised our concerns regarding the UK legacy Bill and the importance of a collective approach that has the backing of victims, survivors and the political parties in Northern Ireland.

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