The programme for Government commits to working towards the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements. As the Minister will be well aware, the Good Friday Agreement has come under attack in recent days from the hard Brexiteer wing of the Tory party and other reactionary voices in Britain. In that vein, I welcome the comments of the Tánaiste yesterday during his visit to the United States. He said that Brexit cannot undermine the hard won gains of the peace process. That is very much to be welcomed.

As reported in the Irish Independent today, the British Government appears to accept the need to stay within the Single Market and the customs union for at least another two years. Will the Minister accept that the best way to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement is to ensure that the North stays in the Single Market and the customs union full stop? Will the Government now press for that as part of securing designated special status for the North within the European Union?

I thank Deputy Doherty. The Government has made very clear its preference for a continued customs union between Britain and Ireland. The best way to protect the interests of the people of Northern Ireland from Brexit is to re-establish the institutions in Northern Ireland. I know this is a view that the Deputy and I share, as do the Government and the Deputy's party. I note that the leaderships of both the Deputy's own party and the DUP met with the British Prime Minister yesterday. It is the Irish Government's priority that there would be engagement with a view to re-establishing the institutions in Northern Ireland to make sure that the people of Northern Ireland have a voice at this crucial time. I welcome the fact that, despite comments from some elements within the British establishment and media, the British Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have been very clear in their support of the Good Friday Agreement, support shared by the Irish Government.