Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 May 2024
95. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for a report on his attendance at the recent British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20770/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, I co-chaired a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London on 29 April.
The BIIGC warmly welcomed the return of the Executive, Assembly and North South Ministerial Council. I have had the opportunity to engage directly with the new Executive since they took up their positions, as indeed as the Taoiseach including in his recent visit to Belfast. This Government remains committed to working all three Strands of the Agreement to the collective benefit of the people of these islands.
Legacy issues were a particular focus of the meeting. Deputies will be aware that the meeting took place just days before key elements of the UK’s Legacy Act came into force, and specific avenues to justice were shut down by the Act. The British Government can have under no illusions about our firm conviction that closing down of inquests and investigations from 1 May is a profoundly retrograde step which will damage reconciliation.
I also took the opportunity to raise with the Secretary of State a number of individual cases that are well known to this House, including those of Pat Finucane, Seán Browne and the Dublin Monaghan bombings. We also discussed the Omagh Inquiry set up by the British Government and which will begin its work in the months ahead. The Government is fully committed to assisting the Inquiry, as it has done in relation to a number of historical inquiries. We want to ensure that there is nothing unanswered in our jurisdiction at the end of the UK inquiry.
Migration and asylum issues were not on the agenda of the meeting but on the margins of the BIIGC, I had the opportunity to discuss recent reporting on the issue with the Secretary of State. I also subsequently had a constructive call with the Secretary of State on 01 May. We agreed on the importance of our two governments continuing to work together at political and official level on the many operational aspects that safeguard the Common Travel Area.
Finally, deputies will wish to be aware that we discussed ongoing security cooperation, including issues related to tackling terrorism, paramilitarism and associated criminality.
I look forward to the next meeting of the Conference to make further progress on key issues of bilateral importance under this valuable structure established by the Good Friday Agreement.
