Written answers

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Brexit Negotiations

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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411. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the meetings he has had with his British counterparts regarding the objective of maintaining the common travel area after Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36244/17]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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413. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the meetings he has had with the EU Commission regarding the objective of maintaining the common travel area after Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36246/17]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 411 and 413 together.

The maintenance of the Common Travel Area following the UK withdrawal from the EU is a priority for both the Irish and UK Governments. The Common Travel Area pre-dates Irish and UK membership of the EU and is not dependent on EU membership. The Common Travel Area is particularly important in underpinning the Northern Ireland peace process and relations on the island of Ireland. The EU Negotiation Guidelines and negotiating directives provide for the recognition of existing agreements and arrangements between Ireland and the UK, such as the Common Travel Area, which are in conformity with EU law.

The UK Government notification letter which formally triggered Article 50 placed a strong emphasis on the “unique relationship” between these two islands. The letter confirmed that the UK Government wishes to avoid a return to a hard border, to maintain the Common Travel Area, and to uphold the Good Friday Agreement.

As agreed, the Irish-specific issues were discussed as part of the second round of negotiations between the EU and the UK which took place last week. This included an exchange on the Common Travel Area. The discussion centred on assessing the extent of common understanding on the issues, with agreement to do further work ahead of the next round of talks. I am satisfied with the direction of the discussions. My officials continue to be in good and close contact with the EU Task Force.

As part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to ensure that the issues unique to Ireland are prioritised in the Brexit negotiations, I have held bilateral meetings with a number of my EU colleagues since assuming my new role, including with the EU’s lead negotiator, Michel Barnier, as well with my Estonian, Luxembourg, French, Slovak, Belgian and Spanish counterparts. I also welcomed the Finnish Foreign Minister to Ireland earlier this month and my officials are currently finalising the details for further engagements in the autumn. I have met with the UK’s Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis, in London on 6 July. I have also held a bilateral with the UK’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 July.

With my colleagues across Government, I will continue to work to ensure that Ireland’s priorities in these negotiations – minimising the impact on our trade and economy, protecting the peace process, maintaining the CTA and its associated rights, and securing the future of the EU – are delivered.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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412. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the meetings he has had with his British counterparts regarding the objective of protecting the Good Friday Agreement after Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36245/17]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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417. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with specific reference to Brexit and its impact on Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36421/17]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 417 together.

As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, I lead on coordinating the whole-of-Government approach to the EU-UK negotiations and to our preparations for Brexit, with a view to mitigating the impacts to the maximum extent possible and securing the best possible outcome for Ireland.

In this role, I intend to build further on the excellent work carried out over recent months, which has ensured that Ireland’s key interests – as set out in the Government’s comprehensive document of 2 May on our approach to the Brexit negotiations – have been fully reflected in the EU’s negotiating position. Protecting the gains of the peace process is a central priority for the Government in dealing with Brexit. This includes: ensuring that all provisions of the Good Friday Agreement are fully respected and upheld; avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and; maintaining the Common Travel Area.

Engagement with the UK is part of this work. In this regard, I met with the UK’s Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis, in London on 6 July and I held a bilateral with the UK’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 July. I have also discussed the challenges that Brexit presents for the Peace Process and Northern Ireland, with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire and with the leaders of the political parties in Northern Ireland.

In all of these engagements, I have laid particular emphasis on Ireland’s objective of protecting the gains of the peace process and the need to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government is determined that all aspects of the Agreement are fully respected through the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, and thereafter. Our priority is to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement and the overall integrity of the settlement is not in any way disturbed by the UK’s exit from the European Union.

The Government will continue to work to ensure that all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement are respected in the EU-UK negotiations, and will be proactive in working to mitigate all impacts of Brexit on the island of Ireland, consulting and working closely with civil society, North and South.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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414. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the meetings he has had with the EU Commission regarding the objective of protecting the Good Friday Agreement after Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36247/17]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I attended the General Affairs Council (Art. 50) on Tuesday 20 June. At this meeting, Michel Barnier, the EU’s Chief Negotiator, informed Ministers of the outcome of the first round of the negotiations with the UK on its withdrawal from the EU.

I also met with Mr Barnier for a bilateral exchange on Brexit and on the EU’s position on the issues specific Ireland as set out in the European Council Guidelines of 29 April and the negotiating Directives of 22 May. I thanked Mr Barnier for his recent visit to Ireland, which included travelling to the border region, and for his continuing support and understanding.

We had a very positive and constructive discussion which clearly confirmed that addressing issues unique to Ireland will be a key EU priority in the negotiations. I reiterated the Government’s position in relation to protecting the gains of the peace process and ensuring that all provisions of the Good Friday Agreement are fully respected and upheld. In particular, I emphasised the importance of the European Council’s recognition that “in view of the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland, flexible and imaginative solutions will be required, including with the aim of avoiding a hard border, while respecting the integrity of the Union legal order.”

During our discussion, I expressed my support for the handling of Irish issues as set out in the Terms of Reference agreed between the EU and the UK on 19 June whereby the issues unique to Ireland will be the subject of a dialogue at the level of the two most senior members of the respective negotiating teams. This again underlines the urgency and importance with which Irish issues are being addressed. I also underlined my willingness and that of my officials to continue constructive and regular engagement with Mr. Barnier and his team at the European Commission as these complex negotiations progress.

As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government is determined to ensure that all aspects of the Agreement are fully respected through the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, and thereafter. Our priority is to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement and the overall integrity of the settlement is not in any way disturbed by the UK’s exit from the European Union.

As a result of the intensive political and diplomatic engagement by the Government over the last year and more, all of our EU partners and the EU institutions are fully aware and supportive of the importance of respecting the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and of supporting and protecting the achievements, benefits and commitments of the peace process. This is expressly reflected in the European Council’s Guidelines and the Negotiating Directives to the Commission for the EU-UK negotiations.

Protecting the gains of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts was reaffirmed as a key priority for both sides in the negotiations, by Michel Barnier, on behalf of the European Commission, and by David Davis, on behalf of the British Government, on the conclusion of the second round of the EU-UK negotiations on 20 July. Constructive engagement and a strong political willingness on all sides, will remain essential to achieving this shared objective through the withdrawal agreement.

The Government will continue to work very closely with Michel Barnier and his team at the European Commission, to ensure that sufficient progress is made on the Peace Process and the other Irish specific issues in phase one of the negotiations.

Together with my colleagues across Government, I will continue to work to ensure that Ireland’s priorities in these negotiations – including in relation to the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement – are delivered .

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