Written answers

Thursday, 13 November 2014

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Northern Ireland Issues

Photo of Colm KeaveneyColm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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187. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide copies of all policy speeches made by him since his appointment as Minister with respect to Northern Ireland; the actions he has taken to ensure the continuance of peace in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43582/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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In the months since taking up my position as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, a significant portion of my time and effort has been dedicated to advancing the peace and reconciliation agenda on this island. To that end, on 16 October the Irish and British Government opened political talks, bringing together the Northern Ireland Executive Parties, in order to address a number of key issues that have badly impacted on the reconciliation agenda and on economic renewal, including budgetary and financial matters, legacy issues (parades, flags and identity, dealing with the past), the working of the political institutions in Northern Ireland and outstanding commitments from the Good Friday and St. Andrews Agreements. Discussions have taken place on each of these streams.

We are now in the fifth week of talks. Since 16 October, I have met on a weekly basis with each of the Northern Ireland Executive Parties, including in some cases, through trilateral meetings held jointly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers. There has been positive progress in the talks.

Last week all participants in the talks came together to review collectively progress to date and to identify those areas where further work is required in order to make further progress over the coming weeks. We established a good basis on which to proceed for the next phase of the talks. Secretary of State Villiers and I are due to report back to Prime Minister Cameron and the Taoiseach respectively on the talks by 28 November.

Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in July, I have made a number of speeches which treat primarily with Northern Ireland and the peace process. Links to texts of these speeches are provided here below.

Address by Minister, Charlie Flanagan T.D. - Annual Reconciliation Networking Forum

Dublin Castle, 16 September 2014. Available at: .

Kennedy Summer School 2014, New Ross.

"History Repeats Itself"New Ross, Co. Wexford. Speech by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan T.D. 12 September 2014. Available at: .

Address by Minister Flanagan at the British Irish Association Conference

Minister Charlie FlanaganOxford, United Kingdom. 5 September 2014. Available at: .

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