Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Brexiteers putting fragile peace at risk claims Tanaiste
SOME Brexiteers are risking fragile peace by questioning the future of the Good Friday Agreement, the Tanaiste has said. Simon Coveney, the Republic’s Foreign Minister, tweeted the 1998 accord was being undermined in some political circles. He said: “Talking down [the] Good Friday Agreement because it raises serious and genuine questions of those pursuing Brexit is not only irresponsible but reckless and potentially undermines the foundations of a fragile peace process in Northern Ireland that should never be taken for granted.” The British and Irish governments have reiterated they are fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement amid the Stormont crisis.
Mr Coveney’s tweet was directed at Labour MP Kate Hoey and Conservative MPS Daniel Hannan and Owen Paterson after they raised questions over the future of the 20-year-old accord.
Mr Paterson, a former Northern Ireland secretary, recently retweeted a commentator’s suggestion that the agreement had outlived its use.
He also tweeted Northern Ireland deserved good government, and health services were falling behind the rest of the UK without a devolved executive. The agreement was signed almost 20 years ago by the British and Irish governments and enjoyed support from most of the major parties in Northern Ireland. Ian Paisley’s DUP opposed it at the time. It enabled the formation of a ministerial executive and assembly at Stormont.
Ms Hoey said her questions over the future of the Good Friday Agreement were nothing to do with Brexit.
She added: “Hiding head in sand over viability of sustainability of mandatory coalition is reckless and wrong.”
Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke by phone on Monday night after the DUP and
Sinn Fein clashed over the prospect of direct rule being imposed on Northern Ireland.