UK Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker and Irish Junior Finance Minister Jennfer Carroll MacNeill will both address the 64th plenary of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA).
Download schedule of plenary here.
Lawmakers at the assembly will also hear from Jersey’s Chief Minister Kristina Moore, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel and Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf.
The two-day convention which will bring together politicians from legislatures across the islands of Britain and Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies, will take place on 15-16 May in St Helier, Jersey.
BIPA holds bi-annual plenary meetings to improve mutual understanding of British and Irish perspectives, devolved nation and Crown Dependency, and to discuss and find consensus on matters of mutual interest. Much of the Assembly’s work between plenary sessions is conducted through four Committees which are representatives of all the Legislatures.
Ahead of the event, British BIPA co-chair Karen Bradley said, “It’s a real pleasure to be here in Jersey to welcome my BIPA friends and colleagues. We are long overdue to convene at the home of one of our Crown Dependency members. Their constructive contributions over the years have never been overlooked, but being in Jersey helps to recalibrate our thinking and internalise that this body is bigger than Britain and Ireland. Our deliberations will continue our mission to consolidate the relationship not only between our islands, but between them and the Crown Dependencies too.”
Irish Co-Chair of BIPA Deputy Brendan Smith TD said: “We welcome the opportunity to hold a BIPA Plenary meeting in Jersey for the first time. Strand three of the Good Friday Agreement was never intended to focus solely on the relationship between Dublin and London but to embrace the totality of relationships. Ensuring continued East-West communication is a key part of Ireland’s bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom after Brexit and it is important that we deepen our engagement with the Crown Dependencies such as Jersey.”