Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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113. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if citizens of Northern Ireland will have the same access to rights as all other citizens here after the draft withdrawal agreement is ratified. [49437/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government is determined to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts, and the gains and benefits of the Peace Process, are protected for people on the island of Ireland, North and South.

The Government appreciates the solidarity and support which has been shown by all of our EU partners in respect of Ireland’s unique issues and concerns, throughout the Article 50 negotiations.

The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland that is an integral part of the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU, and which has been endorsed by the European Council, confirms the Union citizenship of Irish citizens in Northern Ireland.

As Union citizens, Irish citizens in Northern Ireland will continue to enjoy the right to move and reside freely throughout the EU, benefiting from the important right not to be discriminated against on the grounds of nationality while doing so.

The Protocol also confirms that Irish citizens in Northern Ireland “will continue to enjoy, exercise and have access to rights, opportunities and benefits” that come with EU citizenship.

Article 5 of the draft Protocol provides for the maintenance of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements between Ireland and the UK. The Common Travel Area is a long-standing arrangement between the UK and Ireland which means Irish citizens can move freely to live, work, and study in the UK on the same basis as UK citizens and vice versa. It provides for associated rights and entitlements including access to employment, healthcare, education, and social benefits, as well as the right to vote in certain elections. It is an arrangement that is valued on both islands and the continuation of this arrangement is a stated objective of both the Irish and UK Governments. The maintenance of the CTA is a bilateral matter. Work is ongoing both with the UK and domestically at official level to ensure that the necessary provisions are made in both jurisdictions so that the CTA continues to function effectively after the UK leaves the EU.

Ensuring the access of those entitled to Irish citizenship in Northern Ireland to specific EU programmes, such as in the areas of healthcare and education, will be addressed as appropriate during the period of transition and in the context of the future relationship. This is reflected in the preamble of the Protocol.

The transition period that is provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement will ensure no change in terms of access to EU programmes such as EHIC and Erasmus out to December 2020 and possibly for up to a further 1 to 2 years if the EU and UK decide to extend transition.

There is an onus on the UK government to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and it should ensure that these issues, including possible future UK participation in EU funds and programmes, are part of its detailed position and pursued in the discussions on the EU-UK future relationship. There have been some indications in the UK White Paper in this regard.

The Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the UK that was agreed on 25 November also includes some important references to cooperation between the Union and the UK in relevant areas.

The Political Declaration in addition affirms the commitment of the Union and the UK that the Good Friday Agreement “must be protected in all its parts, and that this extends to the practical application of the 1998 Agreement on the island of Ireland and to the totality of the relationships set out in the 1998 Agreement”.

The Government will continue to proactively engage to ensure that people in Northern Ireland continue to enjoy access to EU rights, opportunities, and benefits into the future.