A meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference took place at Hillsborough Castle on 30 April 2026.
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was represented by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Matthew Patrick MP.
The Government of Ireland was represented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee TD, and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan TD.
Legacy
The Governments discussed progress in implementing the Joint Framework on legacy published on 19 September 2025, including in relation to legislation in both jurisdictions. They agreed on the importance of implementation of the commitments made under the Joint Framework as soon as possible, including to build public confidence in legacy arrangements.
The Governments discussed the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, including the recent introduction and rapid progress of the International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Bill 2026, to facilitate the cooperation of authorities in Ireland with the Inquiry. Issues in respect of a number of individual legacy cases were also discussed and the UK Government updated on the recently announced review of the ICRIR.
Political stability
The Governments discussed how they can best continue to support the effective operation of all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement across all three Strands.
The UK Government also provided an update on the ongoing efforts to support the Northern Ireland Executive with public service transformation and their budget.
Security update
The Governments discussed the current security situation in both jurisdictions. They condemned the attempted attack on Lurgan Police Station in March and the attack on Dunmurry Police Station last weekend, both claimed by the New IRA, and welcomed the excellent ongoing cooperation between the PSNI and An Garda Síochána in tackling terrorism, paramilitarism and associated criminality.
Ministers also noted the ongoing work of the Independent Expert, Fleur Ravensbergen, to assess whether there is merit in, and support for, a formal process of engagement to bring about paramilitary group transition to disbandment. They looked forward to the finalisation of her report by August 2026.
British-Irish cooperation
Ministers reflected on the UK-Ireland 2030 agenda and the commitments made at the second UK-Ireland Summit in March 2026. They welcomed the positive discussions on
- enhancing energy security, including through cooperation between ports on the island of Ireland in the development of offshore wind, and through delivering progress on the North-South electricity interconnector;
- a bilateral Ireland-UK approach to address concerns arising from hybrid cross-border working and to consider other aspects of the UK-Ireland Double Taxation Convention which may require updating.
Ministers also discussed opportunities to continue cooperative efforts to share lessons from the Northern Ireland peace process as well as the joint commitment to develop any future digital ID solutions in partnership, ensuring that the rights afforded by the Common Travel Area as well as the rights afforded to citizens under the Good Friday Agreement are protected.
The Governments agreed that the Conference would meet again later in 2026.
