Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

42. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will list the occasions on which he has met with the British secretary of state for Northern Ireland since he took office. [27025/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Since taking up the role of Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs in December 2022, I have had over 20 meetings with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

These engagements have taken place within the structures established under the Good Friday Agreement, and outside those structures, with meetings in Dublin, Belfast and London.

With the Secretary of State, I co-chaired four meetings of the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference in that period, and also attended with him summit meetings of the British Irish Council.

I have also held regular informal meetings with him and had a number of phone calls. Such regular contact with contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been crucial; the Government is committed to maintaining a good working relationship with the British Government in our shared role as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement.

I have had open and frank discussions with the Secretary of State. I highlighted the importance of restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly, Executive and North South Ministerial Council to full operation. This year we welcomed back those institutions, bringing a degree of stability back to Northern Ireland that has been absent for too long. Both governments recognise the importance of regular engagement to support the institutions and maximise the opportunities for North-South and East-West cooperation.

I have also used these meetings to highlight the Government’s serious concerns in relation to the UK Government’s legislation on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles, as well as individual legacy cases. Our views have differed in this regard. I have always maintained that the Government’s approach to legacy issues is that it must be victim centred and compliant with international human rights standards.

With UK elections around the corner, I look forward to working closely with the new Secretary of State to make progress on the shared challenges across these islands.