NORTHERN Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has enjoyed a ‘working dinner’ with Tánaiste Simon Harris in Dublin.
The pair shared a meal at Iveagh House last night, which marked their first in-person meeting since the formation of Ireland’s new government.
“Our conversation was warm and constructive, in keeping with the reset in relations between Ireland and the UK I launched alongside Prime Minister Starmer last summer,” Mr Harris confirmed.
“We welcomed the ongoing political stability in Northern Ireland and agreed on the need for Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions to ensure that they deliver for the people of this island,” he added.
One of the topics tackled by the pair was the removal of the influence of paramilitaries on society in Northern Ireland.
Tánaiste Simon Harris met with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn in Dublin.Mr Harris raised the issue, which he described as “a priority for both Governments in the period ahead”.
“We discussed the report of the Independent Reporting Commission, and our joint announcement that we will proceed with the appointment of an Independent Expert to carry out a short scoping and engagement exercise to assess whether there is merit in, and support for, a formal process of engagement to bring about paramilitary group transition to disbandment,” he said.
“We stressed our common understanding that there is no predetermined outcome to this work, that the process is in no way about providing funding to paramilitary groups, and that policing and criminal justice efforts to tackle paramilitary and organised crime of course need to be maintained in full,” he added.
The British Government’s repeal of the UK Legacy Act was also discussed.
“We had a substantive and forward-looking exchange on addressing the legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict, including the repeal and replacement of the UK Legacy Act with a framework that is compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights and commands the confidence of survivors and victims’ families,” Mr Harris confirmed.
“I reiterated the Government’s commitment to play our full part in legacy processes, including facilitating and supporting the Omagh Inquiry, and updated the Secretary of State on our engagement with the Inquiry to date,” he added.
Followig their meeting, Mr Benn confirmed the British Government’s intention to “address” legacy issues in the North and reaffirmed the importance of British-Irish relations.
“It was a pleasure to meet with the Tánaiste in Dublin, to congratulate him in person, and wish him well in his new role,” he said.
“The UK’s relationship with Ireland is of great importance and I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Tánaiste, and the whole Irish Government, to further enhance the partnership between our two countries.”
He added: “We had a warm and productive discussion, focusing on the strength of the bilateral relationship, our shared commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, and the importance of upholding political stability in Northern Ireland.
“The Tánaiste and I discussed progress in discussions between our two governments in seeking an approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland that all communities can have confidence in.
“We agreed on the importance of a continuing strong and close relationship between the UK and Irish Governments as we work together on a range of issues.”
Those commitments are expected to be reaffirmed next week, when the first UK-Ireland Summit takes place in Liverpool on Thursday, March 6.
Agreed at a meeting of the Prime Minister and then Taoiseach Simon Harris last September, the Summit has been organised so the two nations can “take forward cooperation in key areas of mutual interest such as security, climate, trade and culture”.
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