Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

420. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has met with his British counterpart to discuss Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36424/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, I lead on co-ordinating 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.

I have also stressed the importance of ensuring that the positive momentum from the early rounds of EU-UK negotiations is maintained so that progress can be made as quickly as possible on the many complex issues facing the negotiators. It is important to make sufficient progress on the exit issues, including citizens’ rights, the financial settlement and the Irish specific issues, in phase one of the negotiations so that parallel discussions can begin in phase two on the EU’s future relationship with the UK, including on trade, as well as on effective transitional arrangements.

I will continue these efforts to ensure that the unique issues for Ireland in the context of the Brexit continue to be prioritised throughout the negotiations.