Press release: Prime Minister to visit Northern Ireland

The Prime Minister will reaffirm her commitment to a Brexit that avoids a hard border and protects the Belfast Agreement, in a visit to Northern Ireland this week (Thursday 19 – Friday 20 July).

In a visit to a border area on Thursday with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister will meet with businesses to listen to their views on what working, living and trading across the border means to them.

The PM will deliver a speech on Friday in Belfast, which will emphasise her personal commitment to the strength of the UK’s four nations and the solutions set out in the White Paper that address Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances.

On restoring devolved government to Northern Ireland, the PM is expected to meet with political parties on working together towards this goal for the benefit of all communities.

She will also speak to young people to hear their views on Northern Ireland’s future, for them and generations to come.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

I look forward to hearing views from businesses on the border in Northern Ireland on our departure from the European Union.

I fully recognise how their livelihoods, families and friends rely on the ability to move freely across the border to trade, live and work on a daily basis.

That’s why we have ruled out any kind of hard border. Daily journeys will continue to be seamless and there will be no checks or infrastructure at the border to get in the way of this.

I’ve also been clear we will not accept the imposition of any border down the Irish Sea and we will preserve the integrity of the UK’s internal market and Northern Ireland’s place within it.

From the start of the negotiations, the UK Government has put Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances at the heart of our negotiations. And nothing will undermine our commitment to protecting the Belfast Agreement.

I also look forward to meeting political parties on working together to restore stable and effective devolved Government for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland.