merrion street

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney TD, travelled to Belfast this morning for further meetings with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the political parties. Following those meetings, the Minister said:
“Having met the parties and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland again this morning and talked through the detail of the outstanding issues, it now seems clear that agreement will not be forthcoming this week.
“The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said yesterday that he stands ready to introduce the necessary legislation at Westminster to allow an Executive to be formed once the necessary political agreement is reached between the parties.
“The Governments can support and encourage but, in the final analysis, it is only the parties themselves that can make an agreement with each other. All sides may now wish to reflect on how progress can best be made and I would encourage the parties to maintain dialogue with each other over the coming weeks.
“The Irish Government remains steadfast in our commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and to the success of its interlocking institutions. We are determined to play our part in supporting the resumption of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland – and the sooner that happens the better.”