Northern Ireland Secretary to make first official visit to Dublin
By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association
The Northern Ireland Secretary is to meet the Irish ministers for justice and foreign affairs on his first official visit to Dublin on Monday.
Chris Bryant will be joined by Northern Ireland Minister Baroness Ruth Anderson and British ambassador to Dublin Kara Owen, who was appointed by UK prime minister Andy Burnham in July.
He is expected to emphasise the importance of UK-Irish economic ties in meetings that will also discuss joint security concerns and commitments made on Northern Ireland legacy matters.
The Secretary of State will attend a roundtable with key business leaders from across the UK and Ireland to explore opportunities in Northern Ireland, as well as boost cross-border trade and encourage investment.
Bryant said: “The UK-Ireland relationship is fundamental to our shared security and prosperity, and has been significantly strengthened over the past two years.
“I am committed to working collaboratively with ministers in Dublin to foster joint cooperation, uphold the Good Friday Agreement and deliver on the commitments on legacy that both governments have made under the Joint Framework.
“I am also here today to make the case for Northern Ireland’s immense economic potential, and for trade and investment that benefits communities both in Northern Ireland and across these shared islands.”
In September, the UK government, then led by Keir Starmer, made several commitments as part of a joint framework with the Irish Government on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles.
This included major reforms of a body tasked with investigating unsolved Troubles murders, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
Earlier this month, Bryant said he was “full steam ahead” on a Bill to replace the controversial Legacy Act brought in by the previous Conservative government.
