Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Taoiseach when he last visited Northern Ireland. [32812/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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While I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland since becoming Taoiseach, I intend to visit on a suitable occasion in the near future.

I consider that it is very important for Ministers to actively engage on North/South issues, including by visiting Northern Ireland for appropriate events and engagements. Ordinarily this would include meeting their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive. In the absence of the normal operation of the North/South institutions due to the lack of agreement between the Northern Ireland parties on formation of an Executive, I believe that other forms of engagement by Ministers remain important.