The Taoiseach has congratulated Andy Burnham on becoming the new UK Prime Minister following the resignation of Keir Starmer.
Micheál Martin signalled that the pair already had a working relationship.
Burnham was previously Mayor of Greater Manchester before a dramatic series of events saw him propelled into his new job in Downing Street.
Andy Burnham is expected to start unveiling his cabinet this afternoon before phoning world leaders.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy said he expected to speak to Burnham before the end of the day. Traditionally a conversation between London and Dublin would also be high on the list.
Andy Burnham has long held pro-EU views. At last year’s Labour Party conference, Burnham said he hoped Britain would rejoin the European Union “within my lifetime.”
But more recently, he has toned down his EU rhetoric.
Many commentators expect Burnham to concentrate on domestic British problems. But international events could see Burnham being dragged into foreign affairs.
There are also decisions to be made on Britain’s relations with the EU with deals drafted between Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen not yet signed off.
An UK-EU summit was due to take place this month but has been postponed. And Burnham is expected to take part in a meeting of the European Political Community in Dublin later in the year.
In a statement Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:
“I congratulate Andy Burnham on becoming UK Prime Minister today.
I look forward to working with him to further strengthen the partnership and friendship between our two countries.
Our relationship has deepened further in recent years with annual UK-Ireland Summits, and our respective roles as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement.
We will also work to facilitate a stronger relationship between the UK and European Union.
During his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy was a great champion of deeper links between Ireland and Britain.
It has been a pleasure to meet him on several occasions, including during his visits to Ireland last year.
I will work with Prime Minister Burnham to ensure that close cooperation between Ireland and the UK delivers real tangible benefits for people, communities and businesses right across these islands.”