Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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120. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he will take through international law to force Britain to adhere to international agreements such as the Good Friday Agreement and the Stormont House Agreement. [29397/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The full implementation and safeguarding of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent Agreements in a crucial priority for the Government.

The Good Friday Agreement consists of two elements; the Multi-Party Agreement reached between the Northern Ireland political parties and the two Governments, and an Agreement between the Irish and British Governments to which the Multi-Party Agreement is annexed. The latter is referred to as the British-Irish Agreement and it is an international Agreement which has been registered with the United Nations.

Under the British-Irish Agreement, the two Governments affirmed their solemn commitment to support, and where appropriate implement, the provisions of the Multi-Party Agreement. Reflecting that solemn commitment, successive Irish and British Governments have worked together in partnership over the last 20 years - and continue to do so today - to secure the progressive implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the consolidation of peace, increasing prosperity and furthering of reconciliation across these neighbouring islands, which the Agreement has enabled.

The Government looks forward to the continuation of the partnership approach with the British Government as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, so as to secure the effective operation of all of the institutions and the full implementation of the Agreement.

The Government is also committed to the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. It was reached collectively, by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations. A key component of the framework is the establishment of an Independent Commission for Information Recovery (ICIR). In 2015, the two Governments concluded an international treaty on the ICIR, which will operate on an all-island basis and enable victims’ families to seek and receive information about the circumstances of the deaths of their loved ones.

It is vital that we make progress with respect to addressing legacy, for the victims and families who have been waiting for so long, and for society as a whole as we seek to build deeper reconciliation. The rule of law and the protections afforded by the European Convention on Human Rights must be upheld, and this principle is at the core of the Stormont House framework.

Where the British Government are proposing significant changes to that framework, we have made clear that these must be discussed and agreed by both Governments and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive.

The Government remains ready to engage and work with the British Government and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive with a view to reaffirming a collective approach that is consistent with the Stormont House Agreement.