Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said that the devolved institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are urgently needed so the assembly and power-sharing executive of Northern Ireland can represent the interests of its people and the issues of concern.
The minister’s comments came in a written statement to the Dáil on Thursday, April 18, when deputy Brendan Smith asked if there were proposals to “resume talks” with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the political parties.
He then pointed out the need for the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
On Friday, April 26, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed the resumption of talks involving the main political parties in Northern Ireland as part of a concerted effort to restore power-sharing on May 7 next.
Recently, speaking to AgriLand, president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) Ivor Ferguson said that while a no-deal Brexit would be “disastrous” for Northern Ireland’s farmers the biggest difficulty facing them was the absence of a government in the region.
Minister Coveney, meanwhile, told deputy Smith last Thursday week that the continuing absence of vital institutions of the Good Friday Agreement was a source of deep concern for both the Irish and British governments.
The [Irish] Government will continue to do everything in its power, in accordance with its responsibilities as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, to secure the effective operation of all of its institutions.
He continued: “There are pressing decisions and issues across a range of areas which require a functioning executive and assembly.
“The North-South Ministerial Council is also essential to the overseeing and development of the North-South cooperation on matters of mutual interest as provided for under the Good Friday Agreement.”
Reaching a resolution
The minister went on to say that following on from the most recent roundtable consultations by both governments with the Northern Ireland parties – on February 15 – he was under no illusion as to how to achieve a resolution to the matter.
I continue to believe that this can be achieved and there is an increasingly urgent need for talks to begin.
He added: “Unfortunately, the difficulties that have arisen in relation to the UK exit from the EU and getting the withdrawal agreement ratified by the UK have predominated in recent weeks.
“However, the Government has always strongly argued that the challenges raised by the UK exit must not stand in the way of getting all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement up and working again.
“Indeed, the challenges raised by the UK exit from the EU for the island of Ireland are further profound and compelling reasons for the devolved power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland and the North-South Ministerial Council to be operating on behalf of citizens and in accordance with their respective mandates under the Good Friday Agreement.”
‘Current impasse’
The Tánaiste went on to say that both governments remained determined “to find a way beyond” the current impasse to get the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement operating again.
He then pointed to the legislation that was brought forward by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which temporarily suspends the requirement to call an assembly election.
This underlines the urgent requirement for all those with responsibility to do everything in their power to get them operating again.
The minister concluded: “I will continue to work with the secretary of state and remain in regular contact with the leaders of each of the political parties.
“We want to get the necessary political process underway so that we can secure an agreement for a functioning executive and assembly and North-South Ministerial Council.”