Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Again, I wish to make it perfectly clear to everyone that we will continue to support the Irish language on an all-island basis, including, as we already do, through providing financial support for the work of Foras na Gaeilge.

The St. Andrews Agreement also provided for a review to identify additional areas for North-South co-operation. Again, the Government supported a provision in the Stormont House agreement on this and the Taoiseach has raised this issue at successive plenary sessions of the North-South Ministerial Council. A number of new areas of North-South co-operation have been mooted, including, for example, in the area of higher education. However, taking new areas forward would require approval not only of the Assembly but of the Executive and this remains to be forthcoming. In review meetings with the Secretary of State and the First Minister and deputy First Minister, I have raised the need to maintain political attention on realising each and every one of these outstanding commitments. I did so, most recently, just before Christmas. It is vital that there be more substantive discussions and progress on these outstanding commitments in the period ahead.

Reference was made to Lough Foyle. I do not agree with the British Government's position on this and said so as soon as the parliamentary question was replied to in the House of Commons. I also raised the issue directly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. James Brokenshire, a short time after the parliamentary question was answered. I acknowledge that this issue needs to be resolved. For the sake of clarity, I wish to inform the House that there is a working committee on this issue which met just before the end of 2016. That committee continues to explore avenues towards a solution to this matter which is long outstanding, going back as it does to the 17th century.

In conclusion, the institutions, principles and procedures of the Good Friday Agreement are the bedrock of the peace process. As co-guarantor of the Agreement, the Government continues to work relentlessly to support its implementation and that of subsequent agreements. I assure the House that the Government will continue to discharge its duty in this regard so that the full promise and potential of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements is fully realised.