The six-monthly meeting of the British-Irish Council, which takes place on the Isle of Man, is being held without the attendance of a number of figures, including Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, who is absent because of illness.
Changes have occurred since the last meeting of the council in Dublin, with the departure of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach, the fall of Humza Yousaf as Scotland’s first minister, and the resignation of Mark Drakeford as the Welsh first minister.
The Stormont delegation will be led by Deputy First Minister, Democratic Unionist Emma Little-Pengelly, accompanied by Stormont Sinn Féin minister, Conor Murphy and his junior colleague, Aisling Reilly.
The Welsh first minister, Vaughan Gething, who lost a motion of no confidence in the Welsh senate but still remains in office, will not be present, either. He is embroiled in a controversy for accepting a £200,000 to fund his bid for the office.
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The last meeting in Dublin held in November was interrupted by the riots that broke out on O’Connell Street, which led to political leaders hurriedly abandoning a dinner and being quickly moved out of Dublin Castle.
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Taoiseach Simon Harris travels to Douglas early on Friday for the meeting, which will, once again, take place without the presence of a British prime minister. Instead, the British side will be led by Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris.
The meeting at the Comis Hotel outside the island’s capital will focus on efforts being made by Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands to boost renewable energy production and consumption.
Established in 1999 under Strand Three of the Good Friday Agreement, the British-Irish Council, which is based in Edinburgh, bids to boost relationships on the island, and offer a forum for discussion.
