Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 May 2026
34. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report on her attendance at the thirty-first plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council on 8 May 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37998/26]
View answerThe NSMC was established under Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement and is one of the key drivers of North South cooperation on this island. Since the restoration of the Good Friday Agreement institutions in 2024, there have been forty-six meetings of the NSMC, across the three different formats - plenary, institutional and sectoral formats.
The most recent NSMC plenary meeting took place on 8 May, in Armagh, hosted by the Northern Ireland Executive. The meeting took place in a very constructive and cordial atmosphere, and provided an opportunity for Irish Government ministers to engage face-to face with their Northern counterparts on a number of issues of mutual interest and concern.
The meeting was an opportunity to return to important discussions from previous plenaries, including on business and trade matters, tackling gender based violence on the island and infrastructure and investment cooperation.
Ministers also further discussed cross-border Emergency Planning and Preparedness, to ensure greater co-operation across the island when responding to emergencies such as major weather events.
Meetings are detailed in full in the Joint Communiqué issued after the meetings and published on the NSMC website at this link - www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/publications/thirty-first-plenary-joint-communique-8-may-2026
I also hosted a NSMC Institutional meeting on the morning of 8 May, with First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. We discussed matters relating to the North South Implementation Bodies and developments in the wider policy environment, including global geopolitical developments, Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union and co-operation between both jurisdictions in the context of the evolving nature of EU-UK relations.
The Joint Communiqué which issued after the meeting and was published on the NSMC website is available at this link -
www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/publications/fifteenth-institutional-meeting-armagh-8-may-2026
