Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the work being done to strengthen enforcement of the Windsor Framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53188/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The full, timely, and faithful implementation of the Windsor Framework remains a key priority for Ireland.

The Windsor Framework, an agreement reached between the EU and UK in 2023, acknowledges the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland following the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU in 2016. Through the Framework, the gains of the Good Friday Agreement have been protected. The agreed upon Windsor Framework safeguards and facilitations ensure that Northern Ireland, while remaining part of the United Kingdom’s internal market, also retains access to the EU’s single market for goods. Crucially, this avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland, protects the all-island economy, and provides certainty and clarity for people and businesses in Northern Ireland and across the island of Ireland.

Within the Windsor Framework, and the wider EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, there are clear procedures and mechanisms in place to address any issues that may arise. In the context specifically of the Windsor Framework, the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework is the formal EU-UK structure that oversees the implementation of the Windsor Framework. The Specialised Committee, chaired by the EU and UK, meets regularly to monitor progress and to discuss any matters that arise, including with regard to non-compliance or enforcement matters. Ireland is represented at official level in this Specialised Committee.

The Specialised Committee met most recently on 2 October 2025 during which the EU and the UK provided updates on a number of issues. During this meeting, Ireland intervened to express its continued support for the full, timely and faithful implementation of the Windsor Framework. Ireland also welcomed the newfound positive spirit of partnership that now characterises the relationship between the EU and UK, noting the positive implications this will have for people across the island of Ireland. I have been encouraged and very much welcome recent statements by the UK government acknowledging the importance of the continued implementation of the Windsor Framework, including within the context of the wider EU-UK reset.

I am acutely conscious, however, that for some individuals and businesses issues remain in terms of Windsor Framework implementation. In this context, my officials and I remain in regular contact with stakeholders across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and with our partners in the EU. Most recently, I had the opportunity to discuss EU-UK relations with Commissioner Šefcovic during his visit to Ireland in early October. I also recently chaired a meeting of the Brexit Stakeholders’ Forum, which provided a welcome opportunity to reflect on recent events within the wider EU-UK relationship, but also on the Windsor Framework. My officials also engage regularly with their counterparts across Government regarding the implementation of the Windsor Framework.

As we look to the future of the EU-UK relationship, I am hopeful that we will see continued progress by the UK on the implementation of the Windsor Framework.