Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach if he and his departmental officials have carried out an assessment of the legislative changes that will have to be made following the British Government triggering Article 50. [15138/17]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Brexit will next meet. [15197/17]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Welsh First Minister, Mr. Carwyn Jones, in Cardiff on 10 March 2017. [15228/17]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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11. To ask the Taoiseach if he or his departmental officials have had contact with the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, or officials in her office since 20 March 2017. [15229/17]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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12. To ask the Taoiseach if he has met party leaders from Northern Ireland since the Assembly election on 2 March 2017. [15405/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his conversation with the Prime Minister, Theresa May, in the aftermath of the events in London on 22 March 2017. [15433/17]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I spoke with Prime Minister May on Wednesday evening, 23 March 2017, following the horrific attack in London the previous day. I offered the sympathy of the Irish Government to the British people and offered any assistance that may be required. The Prime Minister confirmed that the injuries suffered by an Irish person were not life-threatening. We also spoke about the ongoing negotiations at Stormont towards the re-establishment of power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

While I did see party leaders from Northern Ireland at the funeral of Martin McGuinness in Derry on 23 March, there was no opportunity for bilateral meetings with them. It is deeply disappointing that the Northern Ireland parties were unable to reach agreement on key issues to allow for the formation of a new Executive before yesterday's 4 p.m. deadline. This means that the people of Northern Ireland will continue to be without political leadership at this critical time as the UK prepares to commence the Brexit process tomorrow with the triggering of Article 50. I expect to speak to the British Prime Minister again tomorrow. The Irish and British Governments have engaged intensively with the parties over the course of the past three weeks. I have kept in close touch throughout with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Flanagan, who, along with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. James Brokenshire, has made every effort to facilitate agreement. In its role as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish Government will continue to do all in its power to facilitate agreement to get the Northern Ireland institutions back up and running as soon as possible. I would urge all of the parties to explore every possible avenue to resolution in a spirit of goodwill and compromise.

I met the Welsh First Minister, Mr. Carwyn Jones, in Cardiff on Friday 10 March. We discussed the close relationship between Ireland and Wales and the importance of the Holyhead and Pembroke ports for trade and travel between these islands, as well as general issues of concern arising in a Brexit context.

The Government has a clear and comprehensive Brexit plan. This includes a deep analysis conducted across Government covering a range of models for the future UK relationship with the EU. Substantial work has been undertaken across Government to identify the key strategic policy and operational risks and impacts. This work is now being intensified and prioritised across all Government Departments and agencies.

The next meeting of the Cabinet committee on Brexit is provisionally set for 11 April 2017. I expect to speak to Prime Minister May tomorrow. Obviously, we will respond to her letter and the European Council and Commission will respond in due course.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We have six minutes left, so each Member has one minute.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not think the Taoiseach responded to my question. Basically, the Article 50 process will begin tomorrow and it is absolutely clear that we are not prepared for it. I accept that there has been a lot of activity but there is no public evidence that we have detailed proposals or have made preparations for different possible outcomes. I welcome Mr. Barnier's mention of the parity he intends to give to Northern Ireland but that is just one of many issues with which we must deal.

The British Government has accepted that Brexit will involve an enormous legislative workload. I noted last week that the UK Government is now grappling with the fact that it may not have enough personnel or capacity to deal with the huge legislative impact, particularly in terms of EU-UK agreements. If, for example, we get a deal on the common travel area, it is inevitable that we will need legislation to copperfasten that. If we get a reciprocal deal relating to access to education and health services, which is what the common travel area is all about, namely, a seamless interaction in services right across the board between the UK and Ireland, we will need legislation for that. What arrangements are in place to begin preparing the relevant measures? Given that there is already a backlog of legislation, how does the Government propose that this extra challenge be met? I ask the Taoiseach to comment on that.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Given the range of questions here, grouping them together is ridiculous. I will concentrate, in the short time available, on the collapse of talks yesterday in Northern Ireland. The Taoiseach is well aware of the goings on in the weeks since the election and the failure by the DUP in particular to engage in a positive way in the talks. Given that the current British Government has a specific duty to live up to the obligations and commitments to which it and previous British Governments signed up under the Good Friday Agreement, the Fresh Start agreement and so forth, does the Taoiseach believe that an indication from the UK Government that it will act on an Acht na Gaeilge or a bill of rights might dissolve the negativity that exists within the DUP and negate the obstacles to a positive outcome? Everybody wishes to see the Assembly up and running properly again and a Northern Ireland Executive being formed but that will not happen if the current approach by the DUP continues and if that party is backed up, in terms of legacy issues, by the British Government. Will the Taoiseach reiterate the position that Irish Governments must take and put it up to the British Government to live up to its commitments and obligations?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Taoiseach mentioned the fact that he passed on his sympathies and condolences to Prime Minister May after the atrocious attack in London last week. We all condemn that attack as absolutely murderous and appalling and sympathise with the innocent victims. I wonder how many more of these atrocities have to take place, not just close to us in London or Paris, but also those that continue every single day in Mosul, as we speak, in Syria, where hundreds have been killed in the past week, and in Afghanistan, where 1,400 people have been killed in over 1,000 airstrikes, mostly carried out by the US? How many more of these atrocities, whether in the countries to which I refer - and which are rarely mentioned - or closer to home, as we saw last week, have to occur before somebody such as the Taoiseach says to Teresa May that the best way to stop terrorism is to stop participating in terrorism? We are participating in terrorism by allowing US troops to go through Shannon Airport on their way to kill 1,400 people in Afghanistan, not to mention the 1 million dead in Iraq and a state that is destroyed. The idea that this would stop atrocities in the West has been proven wrong by appalling events like the one that took place last week in London. When is the Taoiseach going to come to the realisation that we need to stop participating in terrorism ourselves or we will continue to be appalled by the sort of atrocious attack we saw last week?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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In respect of Deputy Micheál Martin's comments at the beginning, we are well prepared for this. The UK Prime Minister will move Article 50 tomorrow. That means sending a letter to the President of the European Council. The Council will present its draft response — it is only a draft response – by Friday. From our point of view, it is important that the draft would cover and refer to the main issues applicable here in Ireland, including the peace process, the Border, the common travel area, our trading relationships and our place in the European Union. These will all be considered and, I hope, signed off in terms of the ground rules for negotiation on 29 April. It is from then on that the real negotiation will start in respect of the issues that will arise. The common travel area is a priority for us. It has been in place since 1922. I refer to the acquired rights of the Irish and English. We will prioritise this in the negotiations with the European Union and bilaterally with Britain.

In respect of Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question, it is imperative that the British Government lives up to its responsibility in implementing in full the Good Friday Agreement. I point out to the Deputy that the Democratic Unionist Party was not in existence when the Good Friday Agreement was formed. The issue of the Irish language-----

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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It was.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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It was. It has been in existence for years.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The issue of the Irish language is important for Irish Nationalists. It is something that everybody would not find intrusive. I have hopes regarding the options being considered by the Secretary of State, Mr. Brokenshire. I do not support direct rule and nobody wants more elections in the North. Therefore, there is a period of extension which will run through the recess in the Commons over the next couple of weeks. I hope this matter can be resolved. I spoke briefly to the Deputy's party leader in Derry the other day about this very issue, and I also spoke briefly to the Secretary of State. There was not much time for long discussions. I hope that an arrangement can be put together and that the parties, principally Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party, will form an Executive and have a common set of objectives. It is very important that the voice of Northern Ireland leaders be heard in respect of what they consider to be the important issues to be dealt with there.

On Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett's point, nobody condones the events that have led to the loss of innocent lives, whether in South Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Mosul or so many other locations.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Afghanistan.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The terrorists behind the attacks in Nice, the Bataclan theatre, Brussels and Germany were all internal to the countries in question. This was also the case in the United States. The individual in the most recent case, in London, had travelled up from the south of the country on one of many trips to that city. In 80 seconds of terrorist activity he carried out the mayhem that caused loss of life to innocent people. I cannot answer the Deputy's question except to say that the geopolitical circumstances of many areas around the world are such that there are now 40 different wars or conflicts, none of which is on EU soil. That is not to say, however, that people should not be vigilant considering what has happened in EU countries in recent times.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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The are using European-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That concludes Taoiseach's Questions. I call Deputy Jim Daly, on behalf of-----

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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On a point of order, the Democratic Unionist Party was set up in 1971.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is not a point of order.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Gabh mo leithscéal. I apologise to the Deputy.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Jim Daly to present a revised Order of Business.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Coppinger is an accurate person.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Jim Daly to present a revised Order of Business.