30th Plenary Meeting of the North South Ministerial Council to take place in Farmleigh House on Friday, 17 October 2025

The Taoiseach will host the 30th Plenary Meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Farmleigh House, Dublin on 17 October.

The NSMC is an Institution under Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement. It brings together Government of Ireland Ministers and Northern Ireland Executive Ministers collectively twice a year. This is in addition to the ongoing programme of sectoral Ministerial meetings between Ministers North and South aimed at developing consultation and co-operation on an all-island and cross-border basis.

The Northern Ireland Executive delegation will be led by First Minister Michelle O’Neill, MLA and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, MLA.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, the Taoiseach said:

“I am pleased to be hosting the 30th plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Farmleigh. Government and Northern Ireland Ministers marked the occasion with a dinner yesterday evening.

“Today’s meeting is an opportunity to discuss areas of shared focus and ambition across our two administrations, including on this occasion, a first opportunity for a collective cross-Government, cross-border discussion on Emergency Planning and Preparedness. Weather events and other emergencies recognise no borders and further cooperation in this area will be important going forward.

“The meeting is also an opportunity to return to discussions from previous plenaries that remain pertinent, including promoting joint opportunities for business and trade on this island and much further afield, and tackling gender-based violence together.

“Finally, I look forward to being updated by all Ministers on North South cooperation under their portfolios, ranging from day-to-day cross-border engagement to major infrastructure projects – all of which contribute to realising the full potential of our shared island."

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, said:

“I am very much looking forward to participating in the 30th North South Ministerial meeting in Farmleigh today, and discussing issues of common concern with my colleagues from the Northern Ireland Executive.

“These are important meetings, first and foremost from a work perspective and in terms of the impetus they give to North South cooperation in the different areas, but also on a more human level.

“As elected representatives on this island, it is important, as we discuss matters of common interest to the people we represent, that we also take time to get to know each other better, to understand each other’s perspectives a little more. Occasions such as this afford us such opportunities, and it is important that we grasp them.

“The establishment of the North South Ministerial Council was a central part of the Good Friday Agreement, and it is important that a pattern of regular meetings in each of the different formats has now been re-established. The Council now has the time and space to continue its good work in stimulating and facilitating better and more normalised cooperation between the two administrations.

“I also want to take this opportunity to commend the ongoing work of the North South Bodies, each of them bringing to the table very practical examples of successful North South cooperation.”

ENDS