Elections: Republic of Ireland
(asked on 12th February 2020) - View Source
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the results of the general election held in the Republic of Ireland on 8 February; and in particular, of any impact of those results on Northern Ireland's relationship with the rest of the UK.
Answered by
Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Irish General Election results are of course a matter for the people of Ireland. The UK and Ireland are the nearest of neighbours and we look forward to continuing to work closely together with the future Government. Our commitment to Northern Ireland, and the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement remains steadfast, including the principle of consent and the East/West institutions set out in the Agreement which will support our wider cooperation and bilateral engagement with Ireland.
It remains the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's view that a majority of the people of Northern Ireland continue to support Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom. The circumstances set out in the Belfast Agreement that require the Secretary of State to hold a referendum on Irish unification are therefore not satisfied.