NORTHERN Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant has made his first formal visit to Ireland since being appointed to the role.
He met with Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan in Dublin yesterday, where the pair discussed their ongoing priorities relating to Troubles legacy issues.
They also discussed “effective security cooperation and supporting the work of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry”, a spokesperson for Minister O’Callaghan’s department confirmed.
Minister O’Callaghan said their meeting was “a very positive first opportunity to engage with Secretary of State Bryant since his recent appointment”.
“The Secretary of State updated me on his plans in relation to legacy matters and I was fully assured by him of the UK Government’s continued commitment to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill and the faithful implementation of the Joint Framework on Legacy agreed by the two governments last year,” he explained.
Minister Jim O’Callaghan and NI Secretary Chris Bryant have met in Dublin this week“I updated the Secretary of State on the extensive progress made already by the Government in implementing the Joint Framework, namely the establishment of the Garda Troubles Legacy Liaison Unit in January and the publication of my legislative proposals in this regard in June,” he added.
“I further underlined the need for both governments to continue to make progress towards implementation and the Secretary of State assured me that it is his intention to bring it to committee stage in the House of Commons in October, as victims and families have waited too long already for truth and accountability.
“I reiterated to the Secretary of State my intention to be in a position to publish the Legacy of the Troubles Bill once the UK legislation is enacted and my aim to support its passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas as a priority having regard to the timeline for the Legacy Commission to become operational.”
During their meeting the pair discussed the “reciprocal cooperation” at the heart of the Joint Framework, Minister O’Callaghan confirmed.
“On security cooperation, the Secretary of State and I acknowledged the excellent cross-border policing and security cooperation that takes place on a daily basis and its critical importance to keeping people safe in both jurisdictions, as underlined by successful policing and security operations recently,” he added.
“Finally, I updated the Secretary of State on the Government’s cooperation with the Omagh Bombing Inquiry in advance of its first evidential hearings in September, with over 50,000 pages of material now disclosed to the Inquiry and more being disclosed on a rolling basis, and the enactment in June of the International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Act 2026 to facilitate the taking of witness testimony for the purposes of the Inquiry.”
The ministers will meet again at the upcoming British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference which is due to take place this Autumn.
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