We have a duty to 'progress' Good Friday Agreement, taoiseach tells PM

Ireland's relationship with the UK under Andy Burnham's premiership has got off to a "very good start", Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin has said.

But he refused to be drawn on how much the issue of Irish unity had featured during their first official meeting at Number 10 North on Friday.

The visit came days after US President Donald Trump made comments about supporting a "unified Ireland".

Martin said the men had a "broad discussion" about upholding the Good Friday Agreement and that they did not get into specifics.

"It was the first meeting, it went well... I think we have the capacity to make a lot of progress on a lot of issues in the time ahead," he said.

Martin was the first international leader to visit the government's new headquarters in Manchester, and also visited the Brian Boru Irish Club in Burnham's constituency in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

On his visit to Northern Ireland last month, Burnham said a border poll was " off the table ", but later said he stood by the Good Friday Agreement.

Martin said he had "confidence" in his own approach to Northern Ireland and did not believe in promoting "rhetoric" around Irish unity.

"I understand people want to appeal to their electoral bases in Northern Ireland sometimes, but that cuts nothing in my view," he said.

The taoiseach said he and the prime minister had discussed the UK's Troubles legacy legislation in depth, and that he had "stressed the importance" of passing the bill through Parliament.

The government is expected to publish details of changes in the middle of next month, with Martin saying both London and Dublin had been working closely on it.

He also said both he and the prime minister wanted to see the power-sharing institutions at Stormont working more effectively, and that the Irish government believes there needs to be reform.

He said Burnham understood the issue and was currently focused on trying to resolve negotiations with the Stormont executive to agree a budget for this year.

Burnham said the relationship between the UK and Ireland matters "on every single level" as he greeted the taoiseach on Friday.