Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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143. 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; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28839/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Good Friday Agreement is the agreed framework for relations across these islands. At the heart of the Agreement is parity of esteem, and a set of values which enable relations to be taken forward meaningfully, including a shared commitment to mutual respect and the civil and religious rights of all. It affirms the right to pursue democratically national and political aspirations, including constitutional change by peaceful, legitimate means. It also affirms the right to freely chose one's place of residence, the right to equal opportunity, the right to freedom from sectarian harassment, and the right of women to full political participation. To assist in vindicating these rights and values, and as provided for in the Agreement, institutions were created in both jurisdictions to strengthen the protection of human rights and to promote equality.

These values inform how my Department engages with authorities and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland, and relationships across these islands more generally.

It is a matter of great regret that, twenty-five years on, the institutions of the Agreement 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 takes seriously our responsibility to proactively engage with all partners to resolve this situation, which is why last week I engaged again with the Northern Ireland political parties and with the Secretary of State, reiterating the urgent need for a restoration of the power-sharing institutions.

In my discussions with the Secretary of State, I reiterated the Government's continuing opposition to the British government's unilateral Legacy Bill, which I believe does not, as proposed, sufficiently acknowledge and address the suffering of victims of violence which the Agreement says is a necessary element of reconciliation, and falls short of vindicating the human rights of all.

My Department continues to support, through the Reconciliation Fund and 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. This engagement and support of civil society is taken forward in the framework of the Agreement, as is made explicitly clear in the Reconciliation Fund Strategy (2021-2024) and the approach underpinning the Civic Society Fund. As part of my regular contact with community and civil society organisations in Northern Ireland, I last week met with East Belfast GAA and the Museum of Orange Heritage to hear about the valuable work that they do in their communities.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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144. 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; 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; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28840/23]

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.