Statement by Minister Flanagan following meeting with Northern Secretary Villiers
07 October 2014
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, made the following statement following today’s meeting with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, MP.
“Secretary of State Villiers and I met today to review progress in preparations for all-party talks. Minister of State Seán Sherlock TD also participated in the meeting. We discussed the key areas for resolution in the talks process and agreed to stay in close touch over the coming days. I will also be discussing the talks this week with Northern Ireland’s party leaders.
In our discussions, I noted the statement issued by the Secretary of State today regarding the establishment of a mediation process in relation to the parading situation in North Belfast. I urged the Secretary of State to ensure that, in taking this forward, she does everything to ensure that it earns cross-community support and particularly that it has the confidence of those directly affected on the ground by the parading situation at Woodvale and Ardoyne.
We also discussed recent developments regarding the resourcing of historical investigations in Northern Ireland. I underlined the importance of finding a fair, balanced and comprehensive approach to legacy cases as part of the agenda for the forthcoming talks”.
ENDS
