Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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136. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the context of North South Cooperation and mindful of the need to make a contribution to the Good Friday Agreement, the number of major and minor projects likely to be helpful and achievable in the short and medium-term under the guise of the mission statement of his Department. [23213/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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142. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the context of North South Cooperation and mindful of the need to make a contribution to the Good Friday Agreement, the number of major and minor projects likely to be helpful and achievable in the short and medium-term under the guise of the mission statement of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28838/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 142 together.

Last month, my Department published its new Statement of Strategy, which focuses on how the Department will seek to implement commitments set out in the Programme for Government to meet international challenges between 2023 and 2025. Among the goals set out in our Statement of Strategy is supporting peace and reconciliation at home, with a pledge to deepen North South cooperation and encourage the building of active cross-border links.

Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement provided for the establishment of the North South Ministerial Council to develop consultation, cooperation, and action within the island of Ireland on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the Administrations. It also provided for the establishment of North South Implementation Bodies to progress North South cooperation in agreed areas.

The Council and the Bodies are the formal means through which the Government develops and advances North South projects. We remain firmly committed working collaboratively with our counterparts in Northern Ireland, through the North South Ministerial Council, and supporting the work of the North South Bodies, to ensure that the North South institutions can achieve their full potential.

Unfortunately, ongoing disruption to the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, including the North South Ministerial Council, has complicated our ability to progress a number of important North South projects.

It is therefore crucial that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are allowed to resume their work without further delay. This will allow us to move ahead with new and existing North South projects, to create a more connected, sustainable, and prosperous island for all communities.

I established the Shared Island Fund in 2020 to work with all communities to build a vision for our shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The Shared Island Initiative is a whole-of-Government endeavour and a priority for my Department.

Over the past two years, we have taken forward this ambitious agenda by progressing a range of North South 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.

The Shared Island Fund is progressing the delivery of major and long-term North South infrastructure projects, such as the restoration of the Ulster Canal and the construction of the Narrow Water Bridge, but is also supporting a number of smaller scale innovative all-island programmes.

This includes the Shared Island Civic Society Fund, which is being administered by my Department, with €3 million allocated to support the emergence of new cross-border civic projects, complement work already taking place on a North South basis, and help civic society organisations to establish new strategic links.

I look forward to continuing to work with my Government colleagues and with our partners in Northern Ireland and Great Britain to develop new North South projects, including through the Shared Island Initiative, in the period ahead.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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137. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he continues to explore and promote the values of the Good Friday Agreement with authorities and voluntary groups in Northern Ireland. [24619/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The values and framework of the Good Friday Agreement, across its three Strands, are the foundation on which relationships across these islands are built, within Northern Ireland (Strand One), on this island (Strand Two), and East West (Strand Three).

The Agreement directly informs how the two Governments engage on a range of policy issues, in particular at this time the urgent need to restore the Strand One and Strand Two institutions to enable the full and effective implementation and operation of the Agreement across all three Strands.

In the Agreement, the parties, including the two Governments, affirmed their commitment to the mutual respect of the civil rights and the religious liberties of everyone in the community. This included the right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate means, the right to freedom from sectarian harassment and the right to equal opportunity for all. The strengthened protection of human rights in both jurisdictions set out in the Agreement was and continues to be a guarantee for the different traditions on the island of Ireland.

It is a matter of great regret that, twenty-five years on from the Agreement being signed, its institutions are not being allowed to deliver to their full capacity for the benefit of the people of this island. As co-guarantor of the Agreement, the Government take seriously our responsibility to proactively engage with all partners to resolve this situation.

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 the most vulnerable. Local leadership is required to address these challenges. I spoke with political representatives in Northern Ireland last week and reiterated the urgent need for a restoration of the power-sharing institutions.

I am also in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on this issue. I met with him on 16 May and will meet him again in the coming weeks at the British Irish Council and at the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference. At every meeting I also reiterate the Irish Government's continuing opposition to the British government's Legacy Bill.

I and my officials are in regular contact with community and civil society organisations in Northern Ireland. Last week I met with East Belfast GAA and the Museum of Orange Heritage to hear about the valuable work that they do in their communities. My Department also continues to support through the Reconciliation Fund, and 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.

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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138. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he and his Department continue to monitor and examine progress in respect of the spirit and the letter of the Good Friday Agreement; and the extent to which he can take further initiatives to promote those elements of the agreement which refer to or require continued action by his Department. [24995/23]

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 is a key priority for this Government, across all three Strands - the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland; the North South Ministerial Council and the Cross Border Bodies; and the East-West institutions. The Agreement is designed so that these institutions support and reinforce one another. Supporting, strengthening and effectively implementing the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements remains central to how we approach relationships on these islands.

As a co-Guarantor of the Agreement, together with the British Government, we have a particular responsibility to see these institutions operate as effectively as possible and delivering to the collective benefit of all of our citizens. We also engage regularly with the British Government, with Northern Ireland's political leaders, and with civil society, on the question of elements of the Agreement which are yet to be implemented.

The people of Northern Ireland are entitled to a functioning Assembly and Executive. I met with political representatives in Northern Ireland last week and reiterated the urgent need for a restoration of the power-sharing institutions. Their vote in last May's Assembly elections must be respected, so that the political leadership required if the urgent issues facing communities and families are to be addressed. These include improving access to healthcare, educational attainment and other core service delivery.

The absence of a functioning Executive also has knock-on effects on the operation of Strand Two of the Agreement. I am deeply concerned that the work of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) has been severely disrupted in recent years. In the absence of regular NSMC meetings, the two Administrations on the island are not having the important conversations that we should be having to address shared challenges and opportunities. It is vital that the Council is allowed to continue its work as soon as possible.

My Department also provides support through the Reconciliation Fund and the Shared Island Civic Society Fund to community and civil society organisations working to build better relations within and between traditions in Northern Ireland, between North and South, and between Ireland and Britain, in the framework of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Government continues to prioritise East-West cooperation and engagement through the Strand III institutions. This week, I will attend the 39th Summit of the British-Irish Council in Jersey and, next week,the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London. These forums provide a unique platform to build relations across these islands and to address common challenges such as climate sustainability, building for the future, and protecting our unique cultures and individual languages. Members of this House also support Strand III engagement through their work with the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

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.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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139. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the new initiatives he intends to pursue to bring about a restoration of the Northern Assembly or the outstanding issues relating to the Good Friday Agreement. [26379/23]

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 its three strands is a key priority. Critical to this is the restoration of the Assembly and Executive, to give effect to the mandate given by the people of Northern Ireland in May 2022. The absence of a functioning Executive impacts on Strand Two of the Agreement, given the interoperability of the institutions of the two Strands. The full functioning of the North South Ministerial Council would enable the further development of initiatives in such areas as health and education which impact positively on the well-being of people in both jurisdictions.

I remain in regular contact with political representatives in Northern Ireland, reiterating the urgent need for a functioning Assembly and Executive., including during my visit to Belfast last week. It is clear from my contacts with parties that there is a genuine desire to get the Executive back up and running.

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. We met most recently in Banbridge on 25 May 2023, and spoke by phone on 12 June. I also held a lengthy bilateral engagement with him on 16 May 2023 in Dublin. As well as the urgent need to restore the Northern Ireland political institutions, I also reiterated the Government’s ongoing opposition to the British Government’s Legacy Bill, which will cause lasting damage to the work of reconciliation on this island.

The Secretary of State and I will meet this week, at the British Irish Council, and, next week, at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference , both Strand Three institutions.

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.

We will continue to seek ways 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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140. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which it is possible to elevate the debate on the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement to ensure a higher level of cooperation at local level with particular reference to projects already under discussion and other areas likely to have a strong and positive impact on such discussions. [28329/23]

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 is a key priority for this Government, across all three Strands - the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland; the North South Ministerial Council and the Cross Border Bodies; and the East-West institutions. The Agreement is designed so that these institutions support and reinforce one another. Supporting, strengthening and effectively implementing the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements remains central to how we approach relationships on these islands.

As a co-Guarantor of the Agreement, together with the British government, we have a particular responsibility to see these institutions operate as effectively as possible and delivering to the collective benefit of all of our citizens. We also engage regularly with the British government, with Northern Ireland's political leaders, and with civil society, on the question of elements of the Agreement which are yet to be implemented.

The people of Northern Ireland are entitled to a functioning Assembly and Executive. In my discussions with political representatives while in Belfast last week I reiterated the urgent need for a restoration of the power-sharing institutions.

The absence of a functioning Executive has knock-on effects on the operation of Strand Two of the Agreement. I am deeply concerned that the work of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) has been severely disrupted in recent years. In the absence of regular NSMC meetings, the two Administrations on the island are not having the important conversations that we should be having to address shared challenges and opportunities. It is vital that the Council is allowed to continue its work as soon as possible.

My Department also provides support through the Reconciliation Fund and the Shared Island Civic Society Fund to community and civil society organisations working to build better relations within and between traditions in Northern Ireland, between North and South, and between Ireland and Britain, in the framework of the Good Friday Agreement.

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. It is crucial that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are allowed to resume their work without further delay. This will allow us to move ahead with new and existing North South projects, to create a more connected, sustainable, and prosperous island for all communities.