Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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38. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his engagement to date with his UK counterparts on the recent court decision in Northern Ireland on the Northern Ireland legacy issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11108/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is a safeguard fundamental to the Good Friday Agreement and sets a clear benchmark against which to assess actions and legislation affecting Northern Ireland. On 28 February, Mr. Justice Colton delivered his judgment in the High Court in Belfast on the UK government's Legacy Act, finding that that a number of provisions of the UK Legacy Act are not compatible with the ECHR. This is a long and detailed judgment which requires rigorous attention.

Speaking in Westminster just after the judgment was delivered the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton Harris, said that he would consider the findings of Mr. Justice Colton very carefully. The Secretary of State also stated that he remained committed to implementing the UK Legacy Act, including the establishment of the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

As the Deputy will be aware, in December, the Government decided to initiate an interstate case against the UK Government at the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the UK’s Legacy Act.

The decision to initiate such case was not taken lightly. The Government greatly regrets that this is the space in which we find ourselves. However, Government’s approach to legacy issues has been that it must be victim centred and compliant with international human rights standards.

While both the Government’s case and the Belfast High Court judgement related to the Legacy Act’s compliance with the ECHR, they are separate. The inter-state case is now with the European Court of Human Rights.

Pending completion of our examination of last week's judgment by the Belfast High Court, I have not yet spoken to the Secretary of State on its implications but will do so as part of my ongoing engagement with the Secretary of State on legacy matters.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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39. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade what discussions he has had recently with relevant British Ministers in relation to developments in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11066/24]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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49. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to indicate, arising from the discussions he has had with various political leaders in Northern Ireland and the UK prime minister, the degree to which new channels of communication or the enhancement of existing channels have become operational in the development of the necessary supports and contacts with the institutions in Northern Ireland at various levels in order to maximise cooperation as envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement. [8111/24]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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76. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on his engagement with UK Prime Minister with regard to power-sharing in Northern Ireland. [5298/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 49 and 76 together.

The restoration of the Assembly and Executive is a positive opportunity for a new beginning for politics in Northern Ireland and to address the challenges that the people of Northern Ireland face in their daily lives. I have been clear that the return of Northern Ireland's political institutions, and by extension, the return to full operation of the North South Ministerial Council, was a necessary and overdue step forward.

The absence of functioning political institutions over the past two years has had real and detrimental effects on people's lives. It is a very welcome development that local leadership is now in place to help address the challenges faced, inject momentum into civic life and rebuild a sense of hope for the future.

The Government is in close and ongoing contact with the British government and the Northern Ireland Executive to do everything possible to keep politics in Northern Ireland on a sustainable and stable footing.

As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, the two governments have a duty to see it operate as effectively as possible across all three strands. A visible partnership approach between the two governments is vital in the period ahead to sustain and assist the current political stability and its knock-on effects on the people of Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement.

In recent discussions with our British counterparts, the Taoiseach and I have underlined the importance of ensuring all strands of the Good Friday Agreement are functioning fully and to the benefit of all. The Taoiseach travelled to Belfast on 5 February and met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. I visited London on 13 December for a bilateral meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, my first meeting with the British Foreign Secretary since his appointment in November 2023. I meet regularly with Secretary of State Heaton-Harris, including during meetings in Dublin of the British-Irish Council on 24 November and the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference on 28 November. I remain in regular contact with Northern Ireland party leaders.

East-West and North-South Co-operation is essential to achieving the vision of the Good Friday Agreement and to maximising the opportunities facing the island of Ireland. I look forward to an early meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, after more than two years in abeyance.

The revival of regular NSMC meetings will means that this Government and the Executive can continue to have the important conversations necessary to address shared challenges and to generate opportunities for increased practical cooperation. The Government is ready to engage constructively with colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive in areas where North-South co-operation makes a positive difference. There remains significant potential for collaboration, including education and research, tourism and driving additional foreign direct investment. North-South cooperation and the all-island economy are important to business and will deliver for the collective benefit of citizens across our shared island.

I also look forward to the next meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference, and the next British–Irish Council Summit, which will be hosted by the Isle of Man and is due to take place in June. In the meantime, we look forward to continuing to work with the British government and Northern Ireland Executive on a range of shared issues to the benefit of all citizens.