Written answers
Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Department of An Taoiseach
Northern Ireland
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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38. To ask the Taoiseach if he has spoken to the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. [54585/22]
Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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39. To ask the Taoiseach if he has spoken to the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. [54586/22]
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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40. To ask the Taoiseach if he has spoken to the new British Prime Minister since his appointment. [54854/22]
Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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41. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his most recent conversation with the British Prime Minister. [56296/22]
Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his latest communications with the British Prime Minister. [56372/22]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 to 52, inclusive, together. On Wednesday 26 October I congratulated the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on his appointment and we discussed a number of issues of mutual interest including the NI Protocol.
We then had a formal bilateral meeting on 10 November in advance of the British Irish Council in Blackpool. This was a positive and constructive engagement, where in addition to Northern Ireland and the NI Protocol, we discussed the war in Ukraine, climate change, energy costs and inflation affecting both jurisdictions.
I welcomed the step back the UK Government had taken from calling fresh elections in Northern Ireland. This, I hope will allow time to make progress on the EU-UK negotiations on the Protocol. I also raised the Government’s concerns regarding the UK Legacy Bill. I highlighted the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and flagged concerns regarding the stability and functioning of the Institutions and the potential for increased polarisation of politics in Northern Ireland.
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