The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Bryant, is to meet Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee on his first official visit to Dublin on Monday.
Bryant was appointed Northern Ireland Secretary by UK prime minister Andy Burnham in July. He will be joined on his visit by Britain’s ambassador to Ireland Kara Owen and Northern Ireland Office minister Ruth Anderson.
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 round table 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.
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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 co-operation, 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.
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This included 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. -PA
