Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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147. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he continues to have discussions with the representatives of all groups in Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the visit of President Biden, with particular reference to the need to engage with likeminded interests in the pursuit of the objectives of the Good Friday Agreement. [18058/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The visit of President Biden in the month we mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement was indicative of wider American support for peace on this island. Throughout his visit President Biden spoke of the importance that the United States attaches to the Agreement. Together with our partners in the European Union, the United States, in Britain, and in Northern Ireland, the Government will continue to work for the full and effective operation of all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement across all three strands.

The people of Northern Ireland are entitled to a functioning Assembly and Executive. In recent weeks we have seen cuts to services that will affect Northern Ireland's most vulnerable. It is vital that the people of Northern Ireland are represented by the politicians that they elected in May 2022.

The absence of a functioning Executive also has knock-on affects on the operation of Strand Two of the Agreement, which has been severely disrupted in recent years. It is vital that the North South Ministerial Council is allowed to continue its work as soon as possible.

I remain in regular contact with political representatives in Northern Ireland, reiterating the urgent need for a functioning Assembly and Executive.

I am also in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with restoration of the institutions a core focus of our discussions. I met the Secretary of State and the British Prime Minister most recently last week, at the conference hosted by Queen's University Belfast to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. In my remarks at the conference I emphasised the importance that the Government attaches to the restoration of the devolved institutions.

This followed a substantive bilateral engagement with the Secretary of State on 6 April 2023, when we discussed the restoration of the devolved power sharing institutions, and the Irish Government's continuing opposition to the British government's Legacy Bill.

The Secretary of State and I also met at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin earlier this year, which is a Strand Three institution.

The Government will continue to work across all strands of the Good Friday Agreement in support of the devolved power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland.

My Department also continues to support through the Reconciliation Fund and shortly through the new Shared Island Civic Society Fund a wide variety of community and civil society organisations working to advance the shared, reconciled society promised by the Good Friday Agreement.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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148. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to indicate any new initiatives he has in mind towards achieving the fulfilment of the Good Friday Agreement. [18073/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The full and effective operation of all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement across all three strands is a key priority for this Government.

The people of Northern Ireland are entitled to a functioning Assembly and Executive. In recent weeks we have seen cuts to services that will effect Northern Ireland's most vulnerable. It is vital that the people of Northern Ireland are represented by the politicians that they elected in May 2022.

The absence of a functioning Executive also has knock-on affects on the operation of Strand Two of the Agreement, which has been severely disrupted in recent years. It is vital that the North South Ministerial Council is allowed to continue its work as soon as possible.

I remain in regular contact with political representatives in Northern Ireland, reiterating the urgent need for a functioning Assembly and Executive.

I am also in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with restoration of the institutions a core focus of our discussions. I met the Secretary of State and the British Prime Minister last week, at the conference hosted by Queen's University Belfast to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. In my remarks at the conference I emphasised the importance that the Government attaches to the restoration of the devolved institutions.

I had a substantive bilateral engagement with the Secretary of State on 6 April 2023, when we discussed the restoration of the devolved power sharing institutions, and the Irish Government's continuing opposition to the British government's Legacy Bill.

The Secretary of State and I also met at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin earlier this year, which is a Strand Three institution.

The Government will continue to work across all strands of the Good Friday Agreement in support of the devolved power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland.

Separately, through the Shared Island Initiative, the Government has committed €1 billion out to 2030 through the Shared Island Fund and is working with all communities to build a vision for our shared future. Over the past two years, we have taken forward this ambitious agenda by progressing North South infrastructure projects, bringing all communities together through our Shared Island Dialogue series, and delivering a comprehensive research programme to inform inclusive dialogue on the future of our island.

We will continue to seek way and opportunities to work with all communities, and with a new Executive, to harness the power of what we can achieve when we work together and to build consensus around our shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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149. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he expects to encourage cooperation, mutual respect and interaction between the various communities in Northern Ireland, and including North/South relations, with a view to building on trust and understanding in a manner which enhances the ideals of the Good Friday Agreement. [18074/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government remains strongly committed to supporting the work of peace, cooperation, and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and across the island of Ireland.

I remain in regular contact with all communities in Northern Ireland, including the political parties, the business community, and civic society representatives.

In my engagements with Northern Ireland stakeholders, I have continued to encourage all communities to work together, including to urgently restore the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

As a co-Guarantor of the Agreement, we have a particular responsibility to see these institutions operate as effectively as possible and deliver for people and communities, North and South.

The formal means for the Government to develop and encourage North South cooperation is through the North South Ministerial Council, which was established under Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement.

I remain deeply concerned that the work of the NMSC has been disrupted in recent years. It is crucial that the Council is allowed to resume its work as soon as possible.

Separately, in 2020 I launched the Government’s Shared Island Initiative to work with all communities to build a vision for our shared future on the island.

The Government has taken forward this ambitious agenda by progressing North South infrastructure projects, bringing all communities and traditions together through the Shared Island Dialogue series, and delivering a comprehensive research programme to inform inclusive civic and political dialogue on the future of our island.

The Shared Island Initiative is a whole-of-Government priority. I was very pleased to launch the Shared Island Civic Society Fund earlier this year. This Fund, which is being administered by my Department, will award €500,000 in 2023 to promote North South cooperation across a range of sectors and themes, consistent with the objectives and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement.

In addition to this, my Department’s longstanding Reconciliation Fund continues to encourage cooperation and understanding between communities. Since its establishment in 1982, the Reconciliation Fund has awarded over €60 million to support over 3,000 projects since its establishment in 1982.

In the period ahead, the Government will continue to work with all communities, and a new Executive, to further promote cooperation, trust, and understanding on an all-island basis.