British Irish Parliamentary Assembly to meet in Sligo next week

The British Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) meets in Sligo (in the Sligo Park Hotel) on the 11th and 12th of June for its 56th plenary.

The session will feature addresses by Joe McHugh TD, Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Children’s Ombudsmen from Ireland and Northern Ireland. The British Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Robin Barnett will also address the Assembly.

Speaking ahead of the plenary, Irish Co-Chair Seán Crowe TD said, “As 2018 is the one hundredth anniversary of partial suffrage, this 56th plenary will see BIPA members discuss and acknowledge the very real challenges facing women in parliament. We also plan to discuss the historical perspective of the suffrage movement particularly against the backdrop of ongoing claims of sexual harassment, unequal representation and pay.”

“Peace and stability can never be taken for granted and BIPA plays an important role in providing a forum for our parliaments to meet and engage directly with one another. The Assembly acknowledges the major political challenges, like Brexit, facing our collective jurisdictions. We are all keen to see the political institutions restored in the North and we will use the opportunity this plenary presents to further build and maintain good relationships between our parliaments and its elected representatives”

British Co-chair Andrew Rosindell MP commented, “It is now 20 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement that established the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in its current form to facilitate on-going dialogue between parliaments in Ireland, the UK, devolved nations and Crown Dependencies. I look forward to reflecting on what has been achieved in these past two decades and how we can continue to work together to secure prosperity in Northern Ireland. We also look forward to investigating some of the broader issues related to Brexit, including the impact on children and at a local level, as well as commemorating the votes for women campaign and role of women in parliaments today.”

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Media outlets are welcome to attend or send a representative to the plenary. Those attending are requested to contact Nuala Walsh (details below), for further information and accreditation.

Notes to eds:

The 56th Plenary will take place in the Sligo Park Hotel on Monday and Tuesday, 11th and 12th of June 2018.

About the Assembly

The Assembly’s mission is to promote co-operation between political representatives in Britain and Ireland for the benefit of the people they represent. BIPA’s membership includes representatives from the UK Parliament, the Houses of Oireachtas, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly, the High Court of Tynwald (Isle of Man) and the States of Guernsey and Jersey.

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