Taoiseach to pay first official visit to Northern Ireland

Taoiseach Simon Harris will pay his first official visit to Northern Ireland today for a series of events.

The Fine Gael leader’s first stop will be Stormont Castle, where he will meet First and deputy First Ministers, Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly.

The visit comes at a time when the Irish and British governments are engaged in a diplomatic dispute over the issue of immigration, but sources say the meeting will focus on developments since restoration of the political institutions in February.

They will discuss potential opportunities for practical all-island cooperation, including recently announced financial commitments from the Shared Island Fund.

While Mr Harris will want to focus on areas of common interest co-operation, much of the media focus is likely be on the rumbling dispute between Dublin and London on the issue of immigration applicants travelling from the UK to the Republic through Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach will then be formally greeted at Parliament Buildings and given a tour of the Assembly chamber by the Speaker, the DUP’s Edwin Poots.

That will be followed by a series of bilateral meetings with Alliance leader Naomi Long, Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie, and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood.

Mr Harris will then host a working lunch where he will be briefed by key business stakeholders from across Northern Ireland.

This afternoon he will visit the Duncairn Arts Centre in north Belfast, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

The focus will be on reconciliation and community development projects in the areas of disability, arts, women and pre-school groups, some of which have been recipients of the Reconciliation Fund and Shared Island Creative Ireland programmes of the Irish Government.

The Taoiseach’s final engagement will be a visit to Queen’s University Belfast where he will meet academics involved in programmes co-funded through the Shared Island Fund, including on-going all-island research, including on cancer care, sustainable energy and resilient food systems.