Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence John Brady TD today called on the Irish government to take a leaf out of the EU Parliaments book and start standing up for the Good Friday Agreement (GFA).

The Wicklow TD instanced the fact that the EU, and the United States Congress appear more concerned at the threat posed to the GFA than the Irish government.

Teachta Brady continued:

“The cavalier attitude of the Tory government has impacted in a very significant manner on the trust and credibility that constitute the bedrock of any negotiation process. 

“But it needs to be said in the strongest possible terms the Irish Protocol is not dependent on the British government and the EU reaching an agreement to determine the form that their future relationship will take.

“The withdrawal agreement, to which the Protocol is an essential element, is a legally binding document, irrespective of the actions of Boris Johnson.

“The Westminster government are no less bound by the rule of international law than any other parliament, or indeed any citizen by the laws of their land.

“Sinn Féin demands that the Tory government abide by the rule of law, and that it honours its legal commitment to implement all the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement.

“Sinn Féin is clear, the EU is clear, the Congress of the United States is clear – that the protocol on Ireland contained within the Withdrawal Agreement is an essential instrument designed to protect the GFA and peace and stability across this Island. 

“But where are the Irish government?

“The Dublin government is not standing up to its duties in relation to the Good Friday Agreement.

“As significant as the role of the EU continues to be in attempting to hold the British to account, and I welcome that fact that the EU has categorically stated that there will not be, nor can there be an agreement with the British government on the future relationship between Britain and the EU – the ultimate responsibility for defending the GFA lies with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

“Time and again since the inception of this government, we have witnessed folly after folly, failure after failure, along with chaos and confusion. 

“Peace and stability on the island of Ireland must be a matter of the gravest concern to any government in Ireland. 

“The silence and inaction of this coalition on the threats posed to the GFA represent another, and perhaps the worst instance of the incompetence which we have repeatedly witnessed since Fianna Fail have returned to power. 

“If they are unable to stand up to the plate in order to defend the interests of the people of this island, maybe it is time that they had a long think about what, if anything, it is that they stand for.”