Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland

02/26/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/26/2026 05:57

Minister McEntee to meet with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Press release

Minister McEntee to meet with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, will meet with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, today in Dublin.

They will discuss addressing the legacy of the Troubles and political developments in Northern Ireland, including the ongoing implementation of 'The Legacy of the Troubles: A Joint Framework', agreed in September between the Irish and British governments.

Minister McEntee said: "I have been in regular contact with the Secretary of State since taking up my role. To the forefront of all our discussions has been our work to implement the Joint Framework to address the legacy of the Troubles, delivering for victims and families who have waited too long for truth and accountability.

"I look forward to hearing an update from Secretary Benn on the UK Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons at the end of last year. I will emphasise that early enactment of ECHR compliant legislation - that will establish a fundamentally reformed Legacy Commission - is crucial to providing the maximum truth and accountability for families.

"I will be briefing the Secretary of State on work in this jurisdiction to fulfil our commitments under the Joint Framework. As we have said previously, we are committed to have all necessary legislative measures in place as soon as the new Legacy Commission is operational. This will enable maximum reciprocal cross border cooperation on Troubles related cases.

"Over the last decade, there has been significant cooperation from south to north on legacy cases, including a number of extraditions to Northern Ireland in the last year alone. I hope that cooperation can continue in the future, with a fundamentally reformed Legacy Commission.

"We will also discuss political developments in Northern Ireland, North-South cooperation and the Shared Island Initiative.

"On EU-UK relations, I will emphasise Ireland's support for a positive and ambitious EU-UK deal, that delivers practical benefits for people across all of these islands.

"The partnership between our two governments is central to the Good Friday Agreement. I look forward to engaging further with the Secretary of State as we continue to work together in that spirit."

ENDS

Press Office

26 February 2026

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland published this content on February 26, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 26, 2026 at 11:57 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]