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

Deputy Brendan Smith raised legacy issues and referred to the Belturbet and Dublin-Monaghan bombings. On legacy issues and a possible interstate case, the legal advice the Government has received from the Attorney General on the UK Act is an essential contribution to our consideration of whether to take a case. Relevant Ministers are studying the advice, considering next steps and looking at all the implications of such a decision. These include: the potential impact on the bilateral relationship; broader political and civic concerns in Northern Ireland on legacy issues; and the position of victims groups and families.

The matter continues to be raised regularly with the British Government, most recently at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference that took place in Dublin on 28 November. Officials have been closely following cases taken by individuals in the High Court in Belfast. These hearings concluded on 30 November. The Department of Foreign Affairs is in ongoing contact with organisations providing claimants with assistance.

Deputy Haughey raised strand 3 and mentioned that it is operating reasonably well. That is the British Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. Unfortunately, strands 1 and 2 are not operating because the assembly and the Executive are not functioning. However, it is positive that all the main parties are having roundtable discussions for the first time in many months. They are discussing Northern Ireland’s public finances, which we all know are very challenging right now. I do not wish to comment or speculate on the financial package of roughly £2.5 billion announced yesterday. It is up to the party leaders to negotiate with the Secretary of State and his officials. The discussions are welcome and I hope we shortly see progress towards a fully functioning assembly, Executive and North-South Ministerial Council. The people of Northern Ireland need and deserve a functioning devolved government after such a length of time since the most recent election.

I have said before that this Government stands ready to support agreed projects and programmes of mutual benefit, including through the shared island fund. If, by helping to co-fund some projects, we can ease the financial burden and pressure on the new Executive, we would be happy to do so. It is important that if the Executive is re-established, it has the best chance possible of being successful and, therefore, sustainable, and not falling again in six months or a year.

Deputy Boyd Barrett once again mentioned the dire situation in Gaza. I had an opportunity to discuss family members trapped in Gaza with the Scottish First Minister. As the Deputy will be aware, he had family of his own in Gaza. We agreed that, to the extent possible, the administrations would co-operate and compare notes and information on assisting people to leave should they wish to do so.

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