Renewed confidence in the citizenship and identity provisions of the Belfast Agreement is required, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said ahead of round-table talks on Wednesday aimed at restoring the Northern Executive and Assembly. A number of bilateral sessions involving the parties and the Northern Ireland Office were held on Tuesday as efforts continued to strike a deal before the January 13th deadline imposed by Mr Smith. If there is no deal by then Mr Smith said he is obliged to call Assembly elections, which the parties indicate they would not welcome. In October the British Home Office won an appeal against an immigration tribunal case that had originally upheld Ms deSouza’s right to declare herself as Irish, without first renouncing British citizenship. No one should have to go to court to be able to assert that right effectively,” Mr Coveney said.

Source: The Irish Times December 17, 2019 19:40 UTC