Brendan Smith Welcomes Delegates to 60th British-Irish Plenary

I am delighted to join with Andrew in welcoming members here today for our 60th plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Members will have received a copy of the programme of business. During this plenary we will be focusing some of our discussions on the urgent challenges facing us as parliamentarians in 2021 and indeed beyond. We will hear from a number of speakers on this issue. As we meet in early 2021, the work of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly is of profound importance for our countries. We need to build on the good work of this body since 1990 in building and deepening bonds between our nations. As Andrew said, we have challenges, not as great and prohibitive as there were in 1990, but working together, we can deal with these challenges and indeed create new opportunities for all. We are honoured to have Antishuk Michal Martin-T.D. with us this morning, who will give the opening address to our Assembly. This morning as well, there will be some work programme updates from Committee Chairs. Senator E. McCurry will update us on Committee A, Sovereign Matters. Darren Miller will update us on Committee B, European Affairs. Brendan Howland will update us on Committee C, Economic. Lord Dubbs will update us on the work of Committee D, Environment and Social. Later, we will hear from His Excellency Adrian O'Neill, Ambassador of Ireland to the United Kingdom, and His Excellency Paul Johnston, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ireland. The subject of their addresses will be Impact of a Changed Environment in 2021. In a slight change of timing after lunch, we will hear an address from Wendy Morton, MP, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas. Later in the afternoon, in relation to commemorations, a decade of centenaries, there will be a presentation from Dr Eamon Phoenix on the partition of Ireland and the creation of Northern Ireland, 1900 to 1922. In the last item on the programme, we will hear from Judy Cinnamon, Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Ireland, who will address the Assembly on Trade, Economic Growth and Global Markets in 2021. We will also hear from Larry Murrin, Chief Executive Officer, Dawn Farms, who will address the Assembly on Trade in numerous jurisdictions. We expect today's session to conclude at around 4.50 p.m. It is very fitting to have a virtual plenary as we discuss the changes and challenges impacting not only on politics, but on all our citizens' lives. How are we speaking the eccles of the support? Let's walk to the Government of our goedkensers' lives. I believe it is. While the managers at the beginning, I think it isintérieur to the election. So really, here I am saying that we have a virtual eine eheretает of Aufmerhause code. After the conversation we need to hold a little bit later.