"I congratulate Simon Harris on becoming Fine Gael Leader. The Republic of Ireland is our nearest neighbour. It is sensible that we work together on matters of mutual benefit.
As with his predecessors, we trust he will respect the Three Stranded approach to our respective relationships.
I will also be encouraging him at an early stage in his leadership to think again on the Republic's refusal to hold a public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh Bomb."