Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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106. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of the most recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the political parties in Northern Ireland in relation to the need to have the Assembly and Executive restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48072/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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111. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which efforts continue to be made to restore the power sharing Assembly in Northern Ireland notwithstanding the issues such as Brexit that have impeded progress in that area; if the UK authorities are conscious of the dangers of allowing the internationally accepted agreement arising from the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent discussions to drift and the need to ensure that adequate cognisance is taken of the importance of continued dialogue commitment to the peace agreements throughout the island of Ireland and the UK and continued recognition of the importance of an international agreement signed and accepted by all parties.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48116/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 111 together.

Since the Northern Ireland Assembly elections of March 2017, the Irish and British Governments, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, have worked tirelessly to support and facilitate the parties in their efforts to form a new power-sharing Executive.

Unfortunately, to date, it has not proved possible to reach an agreement on the formation of an Executive, despite intensive engagement. The absence of the Executive also means that the North South Ministerial Council cannot meet.

I am currently engaging with Secretary of State Bradley on how both Governments can most effectively secure the full operation of all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. I met with Secretary of State Bradley in Dublin on 17 September, in Belfast on 8 October, and most recently in Dublin on Friday 2 November at the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference. I spoke further with the Secretary of State by telephone on Monday 12 November.

Both Governments are continuing to engage with all of the political parties to seek a way forward to get the Institutions up and running again. All parties have re-affirmed their commitment to operating the devolved institutions and have provided views on their key concerns and issues.

In the period ahead, I believe a new political process is required to get beyond the current impasse and secure the necessary agreement between the parties on operating the devolved institutions again.

I do not underestimate the way to go in achieving that, but I firmly believe that a resolution is possible and that the calls from across all sections of the community in Northern Ireland for the devolved institutions to operate will be heeded.

The Government is acutely conscious of the challenges that the UK exit from the European Union has presented for the political process in Northern Ireland and the totality of relationships addressed by the Good Friday Agreement. The Government has worked intensively with the Commission Task Force and all of our EU partners in the Article 50 process with the UK to secure the draft Withdrawal Agreement which was agreed between the EU and UK negotiators and published on 14 November, and which is now being considered by EU Member States and the UK. The Taoiseach has confirmed that the Withdrawal Agreement will protect the Good Friday Agreement and the gains of the Peace Process and avoid a hard border on the island.

The Taoiseach and I in our engagement with the British Government and the leaders of the political parties in Northern Ireland have consistently underlined that, regardless of the challenges of the UK exit from the Union, there remains a pressing need to secure the operation of the devolved power-sharing institutions of the Agreement, which are at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Government will continue to do everything in its power, in accordance with its responsibilities as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, to secure the effective operation of all of its institutions.