Northern Ireland

US will view NI 'through prism of Good Friday Agreement' says envoy Mick Mulvaney

Mick Mulvaney, the US special envoy to Northern Ireland
Mick Mulvaney, the US special envoy to Northern Ireland Mick Mulvaney, the US special envoy to Northern Ireland

THE US government's special envoy to Northern Ireland has said they will continue to view it "through the prism of the Good Friday Agreement".

Mick Mulvaney arrived in the north yesterday as part of a week-long visit to Ireland and Britain.

It is his first trip to Northern Ireland since being appointed to the envoy role earlier this year by US president Donald Trump.

Speaking after meeting with secretary of state Brandon Lewis at Hillsborough Castle, Mr Mulvaney expressed optimism that the UK and European Union can still reach a Brexit trade deal.

"What the attitude of my government is, is that we are confident the EU and UK will be able to work this out in a way that's acceptable to everybody," he told the BBC.

Mr Mulvaney said the US government would continue to view Northern Ireland "through the prism of the Good Friday Agreement".

He described the British government's Internal Market Bill – which has faced criticism for overriding parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement relating to Northern Ireland – as a "fail safe".

He said it "only comes into play if something else doesn't happen" and while it has "gotten the attention it deserves", he added: "We need to look rationally, calmly and coolly at it."

Mr Mulvaney, a former chief of staff to Mr Trump, will today hold meetings in Dublin with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald.

He is scheduled to meet with Stormont's five main parties in Belfast tomorrow before heading to London.