John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the consideration that was given to assisting Ireland in relation to Brexit in the St Patrick's Day ministerial visits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14548/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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St. Patrick’s Day provides Ireland with an unparalleled opportunity to promote our political and economic interests abroad, as well as access to key political and business contacts in leading markets around world. Recommendations for Ministerial travel over the 2018 St. Patrick’s Day period were based on input from our Team Ireland network of diplomatic missions and state agency offices overseas, in addition to consultation with Departments and Agencies at home on where Ministerial visits would have most significant added value in promoting Ireland’s interests internationally. The Taoiseach, Government Ministers, Chief Whip and I travelled overseas during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day period to promote Ireland and Ireland’s interests around the globe. The Attorney General, Ceann Comhairle and Cathaoirleach of the Seanad also participated in the ‘Promote Ireland’ programme of St. Patrick’s Day visits. In total, the programme of visits encompassed 38 countries, including 26 cities across the EU.

The majority of the destinations chosen in 2018 were priority markets for Ireland’s trade, tourism and investment interests, where a high-level political presence reinforced the year-round promotional efforts of our diplomatic teams and state agencies in market. Ministerial visits to the EU were prioritised in 2018 given the importance of building strategic alliances in the context of Phase II of the Brexit negotiations and, looking forward, a post-Brexit European Union. Three Ministers also travelled to the UK to continue to build on the very important British Irish relationship. Ministerial programmes provided an opportunity to explore market diversification possibilities for Irish companies.

A set of key messages, including extensive material on Brexit, was provided to Ministers and the Embassy network in advance of St. Patrick’s Day, to ensure a coordinated and coherent approach to our overseas engagement.

In addition to Brexit, this year’s St. Patrick’s Day programme provided a platform for Ministers to deliver key messages on Northern Ireland, Ireland’s campaign to become a member of the UN Security Council in 2021-22 and the Irish economy.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the elements of the December 2017 joint report (details supplied) that relate to trade and regulations with regard to cross-Border trade on the island of Ireland have been fully agreed by Britain to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14559/18]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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87. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether the United Kingdom maintaining full alignment with those rules of the internal market and the customs union which, now or in the future, support North-South co-operation, the all-island economy and the protection of the Good Friday Agreement must be the default starting point for North-South alignment pending the agreement of other solutions as set out in Article 49 of the December 2017 Brexit agreement. [14709/18]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the recent comments by the British Brexit Secretary of State, Mr. Davis, that the British Government would not agree to the backstop option as proposed which is contrary to the recent agreement reached at the European Council; if he has raised this matter with the European Commission and or Mr. Davis since those comments were made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14765/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 83, 87 and 99 together.

I have clearly communicated Ireland’s position and priorities in relation to the draft Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland to the EU Taskforce as well as to my UK counterparts in recent weeks. I met with Michel Barnier immediately on 26 February and again on 19 March, following the recent round of intensive negotiations with the UK. Recent engagement with British Ministers has included the Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley.

I welcome the progress made on the draft Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland during the most recent round of EU-UK negotiations, which concluded on 19 March. This is recorded in an annotated, colour-coded version of the draft Withdrawal Agreement published by the Commission Taskforce on 19 March, which reflects agreement on some articles of the draft text, including the Common Travel Areaand Other Areas of North South cooperation.

During the negotiations, the UK also accepted that a legally operative version of the ‘backstop’ for the border will be included in the Withdrawal Agreement, in line with paragraph 49 of the Joint Progress Report agreed last December, and that all the issues identified in the draft Protocol reflect those that must be addressed. These were important steps forward.

The European Council, in agreeing additional negotiating Guidelines on 23 March, stressed that work remains to be done in order to achieve overall agreement on the draft Withdrawal Agreement, especially with regard to the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. It reiterated that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. To this end, an intensive schedule of negotiations has been agreed between the EU and the UK with a view to continuing efforts to narrow the remaining gaps on the draft Protocol and its annexes, including with regard to Article 4, which addresses the free movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the EU. The overall aim is to maintain full alignment with those rules of the Single Market and Customs Union that are necessary to protect North South cooperation and the all-island economy as well as to avoid a hard border. It will be necessary for all the EU rules involved to be listed exhaustively in annexes to the Protocol and that work is continuing.

The first rounds took place earlier this week and more will be held over the coming weeks. Irish officials will be involved in some of these meetings where the Taskforce believes that this would be helpful, and we will of course remain in close contact with it.