Taoiseach begins first official visit to Northern Ireland

Taoiseach begins first official visit to Northern Ireland

Simon Harris has arrived at Stormont Castle in Belfast as he begins his first official visit as Taoiseach to Northern Ireland.

Mr Harris is meeting with First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly during his trip to Belfast where he discussed the return of the powersharing institutions in Northern Ireland with Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly as they met at Stormont Castle.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “It has been very positive, a lot of challenges, but positivity for the politics to work.”

Mr Harris responded: “It is great to see, giving people real hope.”

Later Mr Harris will be formally greeted at Parliament Buildings by the Speaker of the Assembly Edwin Poots, before he has bilateral meetings with Alliance leader Naomi Long, UUP leader Doug Beattie and Colum Eastwood leader of the SDLP.

Mr Harris will also hold a working lunch with key business stakeholders in Northern Ireland.

He will later be hosted by The Duncairn arts centre where the focus will be on the achievements in reconciliation and community development work of the 174 Trust, through disability, arts, women and pre-school groups.

Its projects have been recipients of the Reconciliation Fund and Shared Island Creative Ireland programmes of the Government of Ireland.

The day will conclude with a visit to Queen’s University Belfast where the Taoiseach will meet academics involved in ongoing all-island research, including on cancer care, sustainable energy and resilient food systems and others co-funded by programmes resourced through the Irish Government’s Shared Island Fund.

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