Coveney warns Britain of its ‘clear responsibility’ under agreement

TÁNAISTE Simon Coveney has reminded the British government of its responsibility to be an impartial protector of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Coveney was referring to the ongoing impasse in the North between the two main parties, Sinn Féin and the DUP, which has paralysed the Northern Assembly.

Speaking at an event in Belfast last night commemorating the signing of the agreement 20 years ago, Mr Coveney told the Irish Independent: “There’s a very clear responsibility for the British government in the Good Friday Agreement to be impartial to all communities and that is a responsibly they take seriously.

“But obviously the relationship between the DUP and the British government is one that creates a complexity in these negotiations.”

The Irish Government has called for a British-Irish intergovernmental conference to reignite talks.

“We’re certainly not in a frame of mind where important decisions around Brexit can happen before an executive can function again in Northern Ireland, not by a long shot,” warned Mr Coveney (inset below).

He was also speaking in the context of the Brexit negotiations and how hardline Brexiteers, including some in the DUP, are threatening the Good Friday Agreement.

The “spirit” of the cooperation of the Good Friday Agreement “assumes EU membership” for all sides, and therefore Brexit creates a “complication” for the historic agreement, said the Tánaiste.

“That’s why we have the difficult discussions we have and why we got the political agreement in December where the two governments agreed we would need to put a backstop arrangement in place,” he added.

Meanwhile, former British prime minister Tony Blair has said he finds it “absolutely extraordinary” that many unionists in Northern Ireland support Brexit, given its potential consequences for the region’s political settlement. He reiterated his warning that a return of border checks on the 500km frontier could pose a risk to the

peace process.