Ireland

BELFAST, May 7 (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's largest pro-British party will decide next week whether to consider entering a power-sharing government after the British government announces its plans regarding its trade spat with the European Union, its leader said on Saturday.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein was widely expected to become the largest group in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time, giving it the right to the post of first minister in Belfast, as vote-counting in this week’s local election resumed Saturday.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Ever since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state a century ago, its governments have been led by unionist politicians who defined themselves as British.

But if opinion polls are right, an election Thursday will see Sinn Fein, an Irish nationalist party that seeks union with Ireland, become the largest group in the 90-seat Northern Ireland Assembly. That would give Sinn Fein the post of first minister in the Belfast government for the first time.

DUBLIN, Mar 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Irish Prime Minister, Micheal Martin, tested positive for COVID-19, while on a visit to the United States, his office said in a news release yesterday.

In a statement, President Michael D. Higgins sent his good wishes to Martin.

“I was so very sorry to learn of this news breaking, while the Taoiseach (prime minister in Irish) was busy representing Ireland in the United States, leading up to our National Day,” he wrote.

DUBLIN, March 1 (Reuters) - Ireland is likely to reconsider its tradition of military neutrality in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and may get more involved in common European Union defence policy, Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Tuesday.

"This does require us to think about our security policy," Varadkar told RTE radio. "I don't see us applying to join NATO, but I do see us getting more involved in European defence."

DUBLIN, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia will not conduct naval exercises in international waters in the Irish Sea next week following a request from the Irish government to relocate the manoeuvres, Moscow's ambassador to Ireland said on Saturday.

Ireland was notified last week that the exercises would take place around 240 kilometres off the south west coast within its exclusive economic zone but not its territorial waters, meaning it was permitted under international law.

DUBLIN, Jan 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ireland lifted almost all COVID-19 restrictions placed for about two years from Saturday after the country has weathered a storm of the Omicron variant that led to a major surge in infections, Prime Minister Micheal Martin announced.

Ireland is placed among the countries with the highest rate of COVID-19 infections in Europe and now also the continent’s highest uptake of booster vaccines, which made possible the number of seriously ill people remained below the previous peak.

DUBLIN, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Ireland will allow adopted people automatic access to their birth records for the first time under new laws the government hopes will end a "historic wrong", including for thousands sent for adoption in secret by Catholic institutions.

International laws say all children should be able to establish their identity but tens of thousands of adopted people in Ireland have no automatic right to their birth records or access to tracing services.

DUBLIN, Dec 19 (Reuters) - A European Commissioner said on Sunday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's refusal to compromise on Brexit was "untenable" and called on him not to let Conservative Party "machinations" determine his replacement for Brexit minister David Frost.

EU Financial Services Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, Ireland's appointment to the European Commission, said she hoped that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and other big issues would help nudge Britain to reciprocate on concessions made by Brussels.

DUBLIN, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Britain is set to announce further extensions to post-Brexit grace periods on some goods imports to Northern Ireland, Irish deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Monday, suggesting London and Brussels had agreed they needed more time for talks.

Ireland is a key player in post-Brexit trade talks and Varadkar, speaking after a meeting with British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, said he expected the British move to lead towards attempts to reach a more permanent solution.