A No10 spokesperson
said:
The Prime Minister spoke to the
Taoiseach today to update him on the UK Government’s negotiations
with the DUP and Northern Ireland parties, following last night’s
positive step from the DUP. The Prime Minister said he is
confident that the steps taken pave the way for the restoration
of power sharing in the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Prime Minister outlined the
terms of the agreement, alongside the significant support being
prepared to stabilise public services. He hoped this would
provide a strong basis for the long-term political stability of
Northern Ireland.
Both leaders agreed that it was
in the people of Northern Ireland’s interests to have stable
devolved government, and that this was also beneficial to
relations between the UK and Ireland.
Turning to bilateral matters,
the leaders addressed the Irish Government’s launching of an
Inter-State Case on the UK Government’s Legacy Act.
The Prime Minister expressed his
disappointment at the timing and course of action in December,
coming at such a sensitive time. He noted that the Irish
Government had yet to respond to important questions about its
own approach to legacy issues, including with regard to
investigations into the 1998 Omagh bombing. The UK government
would continue to pursue answers to those questions which had
been laid out by the Secretary of State, including with regard to
the lack of criminal prosecutions in Ireland.
The Prime Minister updated the
Taoiseach on his recent visit to Kyiv. He outlined how the UK
would continue to proactively support Ukraine in its battle for
self-defence. The UK had thought it important to begin the year
with a strong signal of support – including with a new package of
funding and the first of the bilateral security arrangements
which G7 and other countries had committed to last year. The
Prime Minister expressed hope that others would follow suit
soon.
The leaders agreed both
governments would stay in close contact in the coming days, as
steps are taken to see fully functioning devolution restored, as
set out in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
