Joint Communiqué: Tenth Plenary of the North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association

The Speaker Edwin Poots MLA chaired the plenary session with his Co-Chair the Ceann Comhairle, Verona Murphy T.D.  Both welcomed the opportunity for members to come together to engage on two important areas of common interest.  The topics for discussion at the plenary session were the All-Island Single Electricity Market, and Cross-Border Cancer Care.  The meeting allowed members to assess the current situation and to consider areas where further progress could be made.

All-Island Electricity Market

The Association heard from Dr Inna Vorushylo of the University of Ulster, Karen Smyth and Raymond Gormley from the Consumer Council Northern Ireland and Dr Brian Ó Gallachóir of University College Cork. 

The Association heard that the all-island infrastructure for the electricity grid needed to be strengthened to meet a continued increase in demand.  This would require investment.  The current legal proceedings in relation to the creation of a new inter-connector were acknowledged and it was noted that these highlighted the tension between the infrastructure requirements for increasing supply and the effect this had on local communities.  A further tension examined was the desire to move towards clean energy and to address the impact on the environment on one hand, while recognising the pressure that energy costs put on household budgets on the other.   
There followed a substantial and considered discussion by members on a range of aspects.  Members agreed on the need to have a secure, reliable and sustainable electricity supply on the island to accommodate new demands, including from data centres and electric vehicles, while also encouraging more efficient use of electricity.  Concerns were expressed that vulnerabilities in the network could increase the risk of outages in the future and members noted that was further highlighted by delays in restoring supply after storm damage in recent years.  Members discussed the general difficulty with delivering large infrastructure projects in good time, particularly with regards to the planning system, and the need to engage with local communities from the outset to understand, explain and resolve issues and potential benefits. 

Reference was made to recent experience of how external influences, such as the war in Ukraine, placed inflationary pressures on the costs of energy and there was widespread recognition between members of the growing problem of fuel poverty.  Therefore, there was a consensus that the issue of meeting the growing demand for electricity needed to focus on a range of measures, including alternative energy sources, to allow increased demands for electricity and energy to be delivered while minimising costs for consumers.  

Cross-Border Cancer Care

The second session featured presentations from Professor Mark Lawler of Queen’s University, Belfast, Geraldine McKay and Cathy McCloskey from the Western Health and Social Care Trust, Fiona Bonas from the National Cancer Care Program and Professor Owen Smyth CBE from Trinity College Dublin. 

The Co-Chairs noted that cancer was something which most members of the Association and wider society sadly have experience of in their family and social circles and this was reflected in the discussion.  The guests and members focused on a range of points. 

It was recognised that the digitisation of medical records can assist patients and medical practitioners and members noted the success of the digital health identifier in Northern Ireland and its potential to act as a model for the south. Members acknowledged the importance of the ‘right to be forgotten’ for cancer survivors so that a past cancer diagnosis does not exclude them from access to financial services including mortgages and insurance. 

There was support for the opportunity presented by a cross-border approach to cancer care to close gaps in each jurisdiction’s cancer services, as well as other specific areas where cooperation can improve outcomes for patients such as breast cancer.  Members agreed on the importance of aligning new cancer strategies between both jurisdictions.  There was interest in tracking progress that is being made in cancer services on an all-island basis. 

Members discussed the particular challenges of health inequalities in disadvantaged areas and the importance of proactive outreach to these communities. Access to cancer services for all citizens is vital, including in rural communities and there is a need to consider how this could be improved, in particular in border regions. Members agreed that this subject could be a focus for follow-up by the Association in future meetings. 

Conclusion 

The Co-Chairs praised the contributions made by the guest speakers which had helped shape two well informed debates. It was noted that the topics for the two debate sessions were good examples of constructive issues the Association could discuss in a meaningful way to share experience and increase understanding of current challenges and future opportunities.   
The next meeting of the Association will take place in the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2026.