Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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487. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his meeting in August 2017 with Secretary of State Brokenshire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37815/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 22 August in Dublin to discuss the best way forward for the Irish and British Governments to support the formation of a new Executive for Northern Ireland in the period ahead, consistent with our responsibilities as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement.

In our discussion we reaffirmed both Governments’ determination to see the devolved institutions of the Good Friday Agreement up and running again as soon as possible. We noted that in the first instance it is the parties who have the enabling electoral mandates that need to reach the necessary agreement to form a new Executive. The Secretary of State and I agreed that both Governments would continue to encourage and do all that we could in the weeks ahead to support the parties in achieving that essential objective.

I also discussed with the Secretary of State the Government’s continuing concerns regarding the impact on Northern Ireland of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. We noted that the issues for Northern Ireland can only be addressed through the ongoing EU-UK negotiations.

I confirmed that the Government, along with our EU partners, is analysing the published UK position papers on its exit from the Union, including the paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland, and together with the Commission Task Force and the other 26 EU Member States, we are committed to working towards an orderly UK withdrawal.

I underlined that protecting the peace process and maintaining the gains of the Good Friday Agreement is crucial and that this shared responsibility must be fully upheld in the negotiations between the European Union and the UK.

I remain in regular contact with the SOSNI in relation to the political situation in Northern Ireland.