Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I had a positive first call with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, on 5 July immediately following his appointment, to congratulate him on his appointment and to welcome his Government's commitment to reset the East-West relationship. We agreed to meet in person as soon as possible.

In our conversation I expressed my desire to work with the new Secretary of State with a sense of renewed purpose as partners and guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. A strong and visible joint approach is foundational to securing positive progress on a range of issues related to Northern Ireland. In that context I warmly welcome the new British government's strong statement of its enduring commitment to the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions.

We had a constructive initial conversation on legacy issues and committed to work together on a path forward. I welcomed the British Government’s intention to return to the principles of the Stormont House Agreement. We agreed on the importance that any next steps fully respect the European Convention on Human Rights and the needs of victims and families.

The redevelopment of Casement Park was also among the priority issues discussed. On 20 February, the Government announced an allocation of €50 million from the Shared Island Fund as its contribution towards the redevelopment of Casement Park in time to host EURO2028 matches in Belfast. The Government will work with the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government towards this objective.

I look forward to working closely with the Secretary of State, bilaterally and through the institutional structures of the Good Friday Agreement, including and in particular the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I was pleased to have my first call with Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP on Friday 5 July following his appointment to the role earlier that afternoon.

I congratulated the Foreign Secretary on the Labour party's success in the elections and on his appointment. The focus of our call was on both the bilateral relationship and international issues.

Reflecting on the breadth of relations between our two countries, we agreed that there is now a significant opportunity for a reset of the bilateral relationship. We agreed, in particular, on the vital importance of the two Governments working in partnership as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement in order to safeguard peace and promote prosperity for people across these islands,

The Foreign Secretary and I also exchanged views on a range of foreign policy issues. This included the conflict in Gaza, which we agreed must end, and our continued shared support for Ukraine.

I very much welcome this positive early engagement with the Foreign Secretary. Both he and I agreed on the importance of now finding an early date to meet in-person. There is much for us to discuss, including the importance of EU-UK relations as a positive context for bilateral relations. I look forward to working closely with the new Foreign Secretary and his Government colleagues over the period ahead.