Simon Coveney hits out at 'reckless' Brexiteers 'talking down' the Good Friday Agreement

Mr Coveney said: "Talking down (the) Good Friday Agreement because it raises serious and genuine questions of those pursuing Brexit is not only irresponsible but reckless and potentially undermines the foundations of a fragile peace process in Northern Ireland that should never be taken for granted."

Talking down Good Friday Agreement because it raises serious and genuine questions of those pursuing #Brexit is not only irresponsible but reckless and potentially undermines the foundations of a fragile peace process in Northern Ireland that should never be taken for granted

— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) February 20, 2018

The Irish and British governments have reiterated they are fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement amid a deep political impasse in Stormont.

Mr Coveney's tweet was directed at British Labour MP Kate Hoey and British Conservative MPs Daniel Hannan and Owen Paterson after they raised questions over the future of the 20-year-old accord.

Mr Paterson, a former Northern Ireland secretary, recently retweeted a commentator's suggestion that the agreement had outlived its use.

The collapse of power-sharing in Northern Ireland shows the Good Friday Agreement has outlived its use https://t.co/Qc72wysJpr @RuthDE via @Telegraph. @NIOgov

— Owen Paterson (@OwenPaterson) February 16, 2018

He also tweeted that Northern Ireland deserved good government, and health services were falling behind the rest of the UK without a devolved executive.

Those reacting angrily to @RuthDE's @Telegraph article should recognise that NI citizens deserve good government. Health services are falling behind the rest of the UK without @niexecutive. https://t.co/LsBDBrIwPw @irish_news @NIOgov

— Owen Paterson (@OwenPaterson) February 17, 2018

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley is due to update Westminster on the Stormont deadlock on Tuesday.

The Easter agreement was signed almost 20 years ago by the British and Irish governments and enjoyed support from most of the major parties in Northern Ireland. Ian Paisley's DUP opposed it at the time.

It enabled the formation of a ministerial executive and assembly at Stormont.

Ms Hoey said her questions over the future of the Good Friday Agreement were nothing to do with Brexit.

"Hiding head in sand over viability of sustainability of mandatory coalition is reckless and wrong," she said.

Nothing at all to do with Brexit. Hiding head in sand over viability of sustainability of mandatory co-alition is reckless and wrong https://t.co/f54XDIcUNx

— Kate Hoey (@CatharineHoey) February 19, 2018

Mr Hannan said he had been arguing long before Brexit that the agreement needed to be changed.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke by phone on Monday night after the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin clashed over the prospect of direct rule being imposed on Northern Ireland.

Both leaders expressed disappointment over the political impasse at Stormont.

The breakdown in powersharing came to a head despite optimism that a deal had been close on contentious issues such as the Irish language, marriage equality and the legacy of the past.