Statement by the Tánaiste following dinner with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

"This evening I welcomed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, to Dublin for a working dinner. 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.

"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.

"I spoke to the work of the Shared Island Initiative, including yesterday’s announcement of over €50 million in support to new projects, and our ambitions for the €1 billion in additional funding committed as part of the Programme for Government.

"A priority for both governments in the period ahead is removing the influence of paramilitaries on society in Northern Ireland. 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. 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.

"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. 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.

"Finally, we looked ahead to next week’s Ireland-UK Summit and agreed to meet again on that occasion."