Micheal Martin 'surprised' at NI Secretary's comments that Leo Varadkar's remarks on Irish unity were 'unhelpful'

Mr Martin was reacting to comments from Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton Harris on Monday when he branded remarks on Irish unity by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as “unhelpful”. Mr Heaton Harris said Mr Varadkar raising the potential for a “plan B” if devolved government in Northern Ireland was not restored by the autumn was also “unhelpful”.

“I was surprised at those comments,” Mr Martin told RTE Radio One on Tuesday morning. “I think everybody is entitled to have their perspectives on the future constitutional position of Northern Ireland. Since the New Ireland Forum we in the Republic have always articulated our aspiration to a united Ireland.

“I believe in the unity of the Irish people in the Wolfe Tone tradition. My party is founded on the principles of Wolfe Tone of uniting Protestant, Catholic and dissenter and we have new people now in addition to that residing in Northern Ireland.”

Stormont executive

Mr Martin said the priority was to get the Stormont executive up and running.

“I met with Chris Heaton-Harris two weeks ago on that score, the DUP have received a response from British government in respect of issues they had raised post Windsor Framework. I think all of the other political parties in Northern Ireland want the executive restored quickly, the people of Northern Ireland want the executive restored.”

Mr Martin was asked to outline what Leo Varadkar meant by alternative arrangements for Northern Ireland if the devolution impasse continued. He said: “In respect of the Good Friday Agreement, obviously we’re very concerned at the fact that because strand one (devolved institutions) isn’t working, because the executive and the assembly are not up and running, strand two (north south political bodies) has been affected.

“So, the north south dimension has been undermined, is in limbo in respect of its operations and so on. And that’s not satisfactory from the Irish government’s perspective, because the Irish government, along with the British government, have an overall obligation under the Good Friday Agreement to protect the entirety of the agreement. And so we have a legitimate concern about the continued collapse of the executive and the assembly. I believe that there is an opportunity to restore the executive and the assembly.”

He said any alternative arrangements would be within the context of the existing UK/Irish political body – the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference.

“We have to look at how do we protect the remainder of the agreement, there are three strands to the agreement and three sets of relationships. And we have a legitimate concern.”