British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference
Encyclopedia
The British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC) was established under an Agreement between the Governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom made on 8 March 1998. It was provided for under Strand Three of the Belfast Agreement
. The inaugural meeting took place at 10 Downing Street
on 17 December 1999 and was chaired by Prime Minister
Tony Blair
and Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern
and attended by representatives of the Irish Government
, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive
.
of 1985. Under the terms of the Belfast Agreement
, the BIIC is supported by officials of the British and Irish Governments, including a standing Joint Secretariat of officials dealing with non-devolved Northern Ireland matters. The BIIC secretariat has approximately 21 staff (10 for the British side, 11 for the Irish side). The staff comprise a mix of grades from senior civil servants to administrative support grades.
On suspension, devolved matters revert to the Conference’s remit. The latest meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference took place in Dundalk, 26 February 2007. The BIIC guarantees the Government of Ireland a say in areas of bilateral co-operation and on those matters not yet devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly
or the North/South Ministerial Council
.
The BIIC is normally chaired by the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs
and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
. Provision is made however for meetings at Summit level, i.e. between the Taoiseach
and Prime Minister
, as required. Summit meetings of the BIIC took place in 1999 and 2005. There is also provision under the Belfast Agreement for Members of the Legislative Assembly
to be involved in the intergovernmental conference but they do not have the power to block decisions taken by the two governments.
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
. The inaugural meeting took place at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
on 17 December 1999 and was chaired by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
and attended by representatives of the Irish Government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive
Northern Ireland Executive
The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement...
.
About
The BIIC replaced the Anglo-Irish Conference which was established under Article 2 of the Anglo-Irish AgreementAnglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
of 1985. Under the terms of the Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
, the BIIC is supported by officials of the British and Irish Governments, including a standing Joint Secretariat of officials dealing with non-devolved Northern Ireland matters. The BIIC secretariat has approximately 21 staff (10 for the British side, 11 for the Irish side). The staff comprise a mix of grades from senior civil servants to administrative support grades.
On suspension, devolved matters revert to the Conference’s remit. The latest meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference took place in Dundalk, 26 February 2007. The BIIC guarantees the Government of Ireland a say in areas of bilateral co-operation and on those matters not yet devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
or the North/South Ministerial Council
North/South Ministerial Council
The North/South Ministerial Council is a body established under the Belfast Agreement to co-ordinate activity and exercise certain governmental powers across the whole island of Ireland...
.
The BIIC is normally chaired by the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...
and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
. Provision is made however for meetings at Summit level, i.e. between the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
and Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, as required. Summit meetings of the BIIC took place in 1999 and 2005. There is also provision under the Belfast Agreement for Members of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)
Member of the Legislative Assembly is a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland.- About :...
to be involved in the intergovernmental conference but they do not have the power to block decisions taken by the two governments.
Devolved matters
In respect of bilateral co-operation these include:- Asylum and immigration, including Common Travel AreaCommon Travel AreaThe Common Travel Area is a passport-free zone that comprises the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The area's internal borders are subject to minimal or non-existent border controls and can normally be crossed by Irish and British citizens with only...
issues - European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and international issues - Social security including methods of fraud detection
- Education
- Policy on misuse of drugs: combating organised crime and associated money laundering
- Fiscal issues
Non-devolved matters
In respect of non-devolved matters issues include:- Rights
- Policing, including implementation of the Patten Report
- Criminal justice
- Normalisation of security arrangements and practices
- Cross-border security co-operation
- Victims of violence
- Prison issues
- Drugs and drug trafficking
- Broadcasting
Criminal Justice Co-operation
Under an international agreement between the UK and Ireland on "Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters" signed in 2005, the Northern Ireland minister responsible for justice reports to the BIIC on certain matters. This because the Agreement provides that the Ministers of the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “the Ministers”) responsible for criminal justice matters in the two jurisdictions (Ireland and Northern Ireland) shall meet at least annually for the purpose of facilitating more effective co-operation and coordination on criminal justice matters, including in combating criminal behaviour, working together in the prevention of crime and on community safety issues, and dealing with offenders after conviction. Such meetings shall be referred to hereinafter as Ministerial Meetings on criminal justice cooperation. The Agreement provides that such meetings shall operate under the auspices of, and be accountable to, the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.Meetings
The following is an (incomplete) list of meetings of the BIIC up to 10 June 2011:- 1 - 17 December 1999 (Summit Level Meeting)
- 2 - 22 October 2002
- 3 - 18 December 2002
- 4 - 20 May 2003
- 5 - 2 July 2003
- 6 - 18 September 2003
- 7 - 22 January 2004
- 8 - 21 April 2004
- 9 - 7 July 2004
- 10 - 15 December 2004
- 11 - 2 March 2005
- 12 - 27 June 2005 (Summit Level Meeting)
- 13 - 19 October 2005
- 14 - 1 February 2006
- 15 - 2 May 2006
- 16 - 25 July 2006
- 17 - 24 October 2006
- 18 - 26 February 2007
See also
- British-Irish CouncilBritish-Irish CouncilThe British–Irish Council is an international organisation established under the Belfast Agreement in 1998, and formally established on 2 December 1999 on the entry into force of the consequent legislation...
- North/South Ministerial CouncilNorth/South Ministerial CouncilThe North/South Ministerial Council is a body established under the Belfast Agreement to co-ordinate activity and exercise certain governmental powers across the whole island of Ireland...
- Belfast AgreementBelfast AgreementThe Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
- Northern Ireland ExecutiveNorthern Ireland ExecutiveThe Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement...
- Government of the United KingdomGovernment of the United KingdomHer Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
- Government of Ireland