Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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16. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on his attendance at the British Irish Association Conference in September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40308/24]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on any recent discussions with the new secretary of state for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40328/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 45 together.

On 6 and 7 September, I attended the annual British Irish Association conference in Oxford. I have published the text of my remarks to the conference, in which I spoke about this Government’s commitment to supporting the work of the Northern Ireland Executive, the importance of political stability in Northern Ireland, and the need for meaningful progress on legacy issues.

While the conference takes place under Chatham House rules, and it would be inappropriate to outline all discussions in detail, the conference was an important opportunity to build on the positive momentum of renewing and strengthening relationships on and between these islands, and to discuss issues facing Northern Ireland.

During my visit, I also met with Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson MSP, for our annual meeting under the Ireland Scotland Bilateral Review. Our discussions reflected the importance of the strong bilateral relationship between our two nations, and identified concrete ways to broaden and strengthen cooperation into the future.

I also had a positive and constructive meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP. This was my third engagement with the Secretary of State since the UK general election earlier this year. I met him in Hillsborough Castle on 11 July and spoke with him by telephone on 5 July, the day of his appointment. On all three occasions, we have discussed legacy issues, as well as a number of other priorities in respect of Northern Ireland.

At our meeting at the BIA, we discussed what the British government’s commitment to repeal and replace the UK Legacy Act means in practice and how this work can be taken forward. I have made clear that any approach needs to command the support of victims and families and uphold the European Convention on Human Rights. Achieving this will require a robust, thorough, and ambitious process, involving root and branch reform of the ICRIR. It will be most effective if it is advanced in partnership between the two governments. We tasked our officials to explore whether, and how, we can develop an agreed approach on this fundamentally important issue and these discussions are ongoing.

The Secretary of State and I also discussed the importance of political stability in Northern Ireland. As I said in my speech at the conference, while responsibility for day-to-day politics in Northern Ireland lies with the Executive, the Irish and British governments can also play a constructive role. I believe that there is a need to have open and inclusive discussions about the practical functioning and management of the institutions in Northern Ireland.