Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that the Irish and British governments will “shortly” set out a new agreed framework for dealing with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland after meeting prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Martin met Mr Starmer on Friday morning at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, where Ireland-UK relations, Ukraine and the war in Gaza were also discussed.
Mr Martin told journalists after the talks that the two governments would be “ready to set out new framework for legacy shortly”.
“Very good progress” had been made in discussions between the two governments, he said, and they were “very close to being able set out a new framework for legacy.”
RM Block
The leaders spoke in a telephone call in July in what was termed a “constructive discussion” on dealing with the legacy of the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland.
They met in March in Liverpool in a new series of annual UK-Ireland summits, hailed as the “next chapter” in their relationship after having “turned a page on the turbulent years”.
On Friday, Mr Martin reiterated Ireland’s willingness to contribute to a “peace monitoring, peace keeping mission” in Ukraine after a ceasefire.
“There’s a range of tasks that could emerge in the wake of a ceasefire,” he said. “That’s important – we have experience, we’ve been part of many peacekeeping missions around the world where we’ve been effective – Chad, Lebanon, other locations, Kosovo.
“I think it’s important that Ireland plays its role in terms of any potential peace or ceasefire.”
However, he added: “There is no sign that Russia is serious about a cessation of the war. We can see that in terms of the increased drone attacks and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure within Ukraine, which is shocking, so we will work with our European Union colleagues on further sanctions.”
On Gaza, Mr Martin said that “the world is shocked at the level of violence in Gaza.”
He said that “clearly the major powers have had enough ... I would like to think that Israel will come to its senses and stop this barbaric war.”
On the presidential election, asked about other candidates possibly getting nominations, Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil has nominated Jim Gavin as is “under no obligation” to nominate anyone else.
“I find it interesting that parties who attack us day in day out now say we should nominate some of their nominees – it’s kind of an interesting take on politics,” he said.
