Theresa May – 2019 Statement on Ireland with Leo Varadkar

Below is the text of the statement made by Theresa May, the Prime Minister, with Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, on 2 June 2019.

In our statement of 26 April, we announced a new phase of political talks in Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley and the Tánaiste Simon Coveney have updated us on progress since then.

We welcome the constructive engagement shown by all parties to date. It is clear to us that the Northern Ireland political parties wish to see the institutions of the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement restored, but operating on a more credible and sustainable basis. While broad consensus has been reached on some issues, other areas remain to be resolved.

The Secretary of State and Tánaiste believe that there is a genuine but narrow window of opportunity to reach agreement in the immediate period ahead and that it is essential to continue and intensify talks to this end.

As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we will continue to monitor this progress closely. We believe it is imperative that the parties now move without delay to engaging substantively on the shape of a final agreement.