Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this issue. I was very grateful to have an opportunity to speak to Prime Minister Starmer on his first day in office. I am pleased that he had an opportunity yesterday to visit Northern Ireland and meet with the First Minister, the deputy First Minister and the parties in Northern Ireland, including Deputy McDonald. I look forward to meeting him in Downing Street next week. I will obviously have a range of issues that I will want to discuss with him. I look forward to trying to get back to, as the Deputy says, the two Governments recognising their unique roles as co-guarantors of the peace process. So much good can flow from that.

Protecting the common travel area from abuse, including abuse in respect of migration, is a really important element. There has been a long-standing practice in this area. Unfortunately, these matters may have become too politicised in recent years. Protecting the common travel area from abuse is an important framework through which we can consider all of these issues.

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