Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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25. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a report of the meetings that he held when he visited Belfast on 18 May 2016; if he has any future engagements with political representatives planned; and his plans to support efforts to implement the unfulfilled commitments from previous Agreements. [11953/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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My visit to Belfast last week was my first since my re-appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I undertook a series of meetings with political, community and sports representatives. During my visit, I put forward the Government’s position on the UK-EU Referendum and our priorities in the new Programme for Government, which has detailed commitments in relation to Northern Ireland.

I met with the newly appointed Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Robin Newton MLA, and with the recently reappointed deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness MLA. I made clear the Government’s readiness to work together with the Executive and the Assembly, in the months and years ahead on the important issues facing our island, North and South, including the full implementation of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements.

I also held discussions with the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors, Ms. Judith Thompson, and UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Mr. Pablo de Greiff on issues arising from the legacy of the past, including how to progress the establishment of the institutions provided for under the Stormont House Agreement. Following the recent Assembly elections, it is now crucial that the outstanding issues relating to the legacy of the past are resolved and the necessary political agreement achieved.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Mr. Les Allamby. Our discussion focused on the human rights commitments contained in the Good Friday Agreement some of which are still outstanding. As a co-guarantor, the Government is determined to work to ensure the full implementation of the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements.

I visited the Houben Centre in the grounds of the Holy Cross monastery in North Belfast, to meet with community representatives and to show my solidarity with them as they work to improve their local area in the face of considerable challenges. While there, I met with the widow of Michael McGibbon, who was murdered earlier this month, and expressed to her my condolences and those of the Government.

I also met with Mr. Jim Shaw, the President of the Irish Football Association, ahead of the participation by both the Ireland and Northern Ireland teams in the Euro2016 championships. We discussed this very positive development for soccer on the island of Ireland, as well as some of the practical arrangements relating to the travel of tens of thousands of fans of both teams to France next month.

Following on from my visit to Belfast, I was in Derry earlier this week for a programme which included elements on the EU referendum in the UK, the Irish language and community relations. These early visits are a signal of the high priority which the Government attaches to North/South matters and this will be reflected in regular Northern Ireland engagements.