Sunday 12 October to Tuesday 14 October 2025
The Assembly met at the Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey from 12 to 14 October 2025 for the first time since the 2024 elections in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The plenary sittings were chaired jointly by Gill Furniss MP (British Co-Chair) and Brendan Smith TD (Irish Co-Chair).
The following made presentations to the Assembly and answered questions:
- HE Kara Owen CMG, Ambassador-designate of the United Kingdom to Ireland
- HE Martin Fraser, Ambassador of Ireland to Great Britain
- James Lawless TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Government of Ireland
- Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Ireland
Read the Assembly’s Programme of Business for the 67th plenary here.
Read the speeches and contributions made at the 67th plenary here.
The Assembly adopted a report from Committee B (European Matters) on UK-EU Defence and Security Cooperation post-Brexit. Read the report here.
The Assembly debated and adopted resolutions and reports as follows:
UK‑IRELAND 2030 JOINT STATEMENT
That the British‑Irish Parliamentary Assembly welcomes the 2030 Joint Statement of the UK and Irish Governments issued in March 2025 which marked a moment of renewal for an ambitious programme of co‑operation through to 2030; and commits the Assembly to supporting and encouraging the work needed to make those ambitions a reality, in pursuit of the Assembly’s foundational aim of promoting co‑operation between political representatives in Britain and Ireland for the benefit of the people we represent.
SECURITY AND DEFENCE CO‑OPERATION IN EUROPE
That the British‑Irish Parliamentary Assembly recognises the vital importance to all BIPA jurisdictions of effective measures taken by governments to ensure their security and defence; appreciates that global trends and events pose significant threats to that continued security; welcomes the agreements concluded between the UK and Ireland in March 2025 and the UK and the European Union in May 2025 which provide for practical cooperation on matters of security, defence, intelligence sharing and cyber security; and recommends that the British and Irish Governments continue to work closely together and with European partners to enhance security measures, in particular in the fields of critical marine infrastructure, energy security, cyber security and irregular migration.
PROPOSED JOINT FRAMEWORK ON THE LEGACY OF THE TROUBLES
That the British‑Irish Parliamentary Assembly notes the publication on 19 September 2025 of the joint framework agreed between the UK Government and the Government of Ireland on the legacy of the Troubles.
UK-EU DEFENCE AND SECURITY COOPERATION POST-BREXIT
That this Assembly takes note of the report of Committee B (European Affairs) entitled UK-EU Defence and Security Cooperation post-Brexit.