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A rarely-used forum for Anglo\/Irish co-operation on Northern Ireland could help ministers keep in touch after Brexit, the Taoiseach has suggested.<\/p>\nA rarely-used forum for Anglo\/Irish co-operation on Northern Ireland could help ministers keep in touch after Brexit, the Taoiseach has suggested.<\/p>\n
The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIGC) is to meet in London on July 25, 18 months after devolved government imploded in Belfast.<\/p>\n
The mechanism gives the Irish Government a consultative role on non-devolved issues affecting Northern Ireland. It last met in 2007.<\/p>\n
I meet the Prime Minister four or five times a year here in Brussels, after the UK leaves the EU those interactions may not necessarily happen any more<\/p>\n
Leo Varadkar said: \u201cPotentially it is a body that could be expanded to provide for structured cooperation between the British Government and the Irish Government after Brexit.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause while we see each other all the time, ministers meet their counterparts, I meet the Prime Minister four or five times a year here in Brussels, after the UK leaves the EU those interactions may not necessarily happen any more.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we need an alternative mechanism to do that and I think the BIGC could potentially be the mechanism by which we continue to cooperate and stay close as countries and Governments.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Cabinet Office did not mention the power sharing impasse in a statement announcing the initiative, instead describing the focus as \u201cEast West issues\u201d, T\u00e1naiste Simon Coveney said \u201cNorthern Ireland issues\u201d would be on the agenda.<\/p>\n
British Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley will attend.<\/p>\n
The Irish government will be represented by Mr Coveney and Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan.<\/p>\n