NORTH SOUTH MINISTERIAL COUNCIL THIRTY-FIRST PLENARY MEETING ARMAGH 8 MAY 2026 JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ

1. The thirty-first Plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) was held in Armagh on 8 May 2026.
2. The Northern Ireland Executive was led by the First Minister, Michelle O’Neill MLA, and the deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly MLA who jointly chaired the meeting. The Government of Ireland was led by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD. A full list of the members of both delegations is attached as an Annex.
3. The Council discussed the current global situation including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and their impact on the island.
4. The Council welcomed the ongoing work being undertaken to address the legacy of Mother and Baby Institutions, including progress on benefit disregards which will ensure that related payments do not affect an individual’s entitlement to benefits, regardless of where they are currently living on these islands. The NSMC also noted the continued commitment to improving access to records and that officials will continue to engage on this important work.

BUSINESS AND TRADE MATTERS

1. The NSMC had an exchange of views on international and domestic business and trade developments since the last Plenary meeting, including developments on US tariffs; recent steel safeguard announcements by the UK and EU and current trade impacts arising from the conflict in the Middle East.
2. In what remains an evolving international trading environment, the two Administrations will remain engaged with one another on business and trade matters.
3. The NSMC also recalled that where appropriate, the NSMC sectors should continue to consider how agreed collaborative approaches can contribute to the promotion of economic growth.
4. The Council noted that the most recent combined figures for trade in goods and services between the two jurisdictions show a total value of £14.5 billion/€17.2 billion in 2024.

TACKLING GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

1. Ministers acknowledged the unacceptably high prevalence levels of gender based violence and violence against women and girls in both jurisdictions and the need for a whole of society response to address it. Ministers also agreed that sport provides an appropriate avenue to explore joint working on prevention-focused interventions.
2. The NSMC agreed to explore the potential for further collaboration in respect of initiatives with a protection focus, including child protection in the context of gender-based violence. It also recognised that human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a significant issue in both jurisdictions which also has a cross-border dimension. The Council agreed that officials will examine further opportunities for co-operation in this area.
3. Ministers welcomed a shared learning event that took place in Drogheda in March 2026, which showcased the experience of rolling out Operation Encompass in Northern Ireland.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND INVESTMENT CO-OPERATION

1. The NSMC noted the decision of the Department for Infrastructure to appeal the judgement against the A5 Western Transport Corridor and that the appeal date is yet to be scheduled.
2. The Council noted the ongoing work by Waterways Ireland on the Ulster Canal restoration project and welcomed the continued progress that has been made on the Narrow Water Bridge main construction project.
3. Ministers welcomed the continued collaboration to progress the All-Island Strategic Rail Review's recommendations through the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy developed by both Administrations and published in December. They also welcomed the signing on 7 May of the contract of almost €700m for the new Enterprise Rail Fleet, funded by the Government of Ireland, the Northern Ireland Executiveand the PEACEPLUS programme.
4. The NSMC noted the progress that has been made on the Ulster University, Magee Expansion Project in Derry~Londonderry and that the outcome is awaited of the planning decision for the construction of a new teaching block.
5. Ministers welcomed the commencement of projects under the Second Call of the North-South Research programme and also the progress on delivery of collaborative Research and Innovation programmes under the Shared Island Bioeconomy Initiative; DAFM-DAERA partnerships; and the Co-Centre Programme.
6. The Council welcomed the announcement by the Government of Ireland in November 2025 of a Shared Island Greenways Development Fund of €2m to support the further development of greenways in the border region. The Council also welcomed the November 2025 announcement by the Government of Ireland that the Minister for Transport will introduce a new PSO air service between Dubin and City of Derry airports in 2026.
7. Ministers welcomed the progress on the implementation of the PEACEPLUS programme, noted that discussions on allocations to a successor programme are taking place and that SEUPB has commenced development of a successor programme.

EMERGENCY PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS

1. The Council welcomed ongoing collaboration between officials in both jurisdictions on civil contingencies, resilience and emergency preparedness.
2. The Council also welcomed the sustained engagement between both jurisdictions to enhance strategic cooperation in the area of resilience and preparedness.
3. Ministers welcomed the 4th All-Island Disaster Risk Reduction Conference 2026 which was held on 29 & 30 April in Dundalk, supporting further discussions between both Administrations on optimising co-operation on emergency preparedness, management, recovery and resilience to benefit both jurisdictions.
4. The NSMC welcomed the announcement in November 2025 of a €5.9m allocation by the Government of Ireland from the Shared Island Fund to strengthen co-operation between the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and Ireland’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. This co-ordinated investment will expand training facilities, invest in interoperable urban search and rescue training equipment and procure a flood containment module. The Council noted that both Services and their parent Departments are now working to finalise the approach.
5. The NSMC welcomed the announcement in November 2025 of over €4m in PEACEPLUS funding for two projects on cross-border collaboration on emergency management, TACTICS and Resilient Neighbours, delivered by fire and emergency services and local authorities across both jurisdictions.
6. The Council noted that despite the global disruption to the supply of oil and gas and consequent price increases, there are currently no issues around security of supply across both jurisdictions and that officials will continue to monitor jointly the situation and update Ministers as necessary.

JOINT SECRETARIES’ PROGRESS REPORT

1. The NSMC noted that since the last NSMC Plenary meeting in October 2025, Ministers have met in nine sectors, and the Joint Secretariat continues to work with both Administrations to facilitate NSMC meetings across all sectors.
2. The Council noted that Corporate Governance matters have been considered in each of the North-South Implementation Bodies’ sectors including Business Plans, Budgets and Annual Reports and Accounts.
3. It was noted that the Council appointed a number of board members to the North South Bodies, and that the Joint Secretariat hosted a board member conference in February 2026.
4. The NSMC was advised that Ministers at relevant sectoral meetings have discussed collaboration to address climate change and loss of biodiversity, how agreed collaborative approaches can contribute to the promotion of economic growth, and disability issues.

SCHEDULE OF FUTURE MEETINGS

1. Ministers agreed a future schedule of NSMC meetings to take place across the various sectors and in Plenary and Institutional format.

Joint Secretariat

8 May 2026

www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org

ANNEX

MEETING OF THE NORTH SOUTH MINISTERIAL COUNCIL

8 May 2026