Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
104. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will report on her engagement with the political parties in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8622/26]
View answerIn recent weeks I had a number of engagements with political parties in Northern Ireland.
On 5 December 2025, at the British-Irish Council, I met with the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
On 7 January in Belfast, I met with Alliance Party deputy leader, Eóin Tennyson; with the then-UUP leader and Minister for Health, Mike Nesbitt; with the SDLP Leader of the Opposition at Stormont, Matthew O’Toole; and paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the Assembly, Edwin Poots.
All of these meetings provided valuable opportunities for engagement on the political situation in Northern Ireland, including the work of the Assembly and Executive, and respective priorities for the year ahead.
I raised the positive work and strong commitment across government to constructive North-South cooperation, noting in particular the centrality to this work of the Shared Island Initiative and the North-South Ministerial Council.
On legacy, the I reiterated the Government’s commitment to the Joint Framework published by the two governments last year. In all of these engagements, I emphasised the need for timely and faithful implementation in order to put in place mechanisms that can provide truth, accountability, and, where possible, justice for victims and survivors.
Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Shared Island Initiative, the operation of the Windsor Framework, reform of the devolved institutions, and the essential work of promoting reconciliation on the island were also discussed.
