'Energetic Meeting' For British-Irish Council

A Stormont junior minister and four Executive ministers are today in the Channel Islands to focus on renewable energy projects as part of the latest British Isles summit.

Brian Cowen, the Irish prime minister and the first ministers from both Scotland and Wales are also to attend the event in Guernsey.

The five NI MLAs attending the 14th British-Irish Council meeting are First Minister Peter Robinson, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Minister for the Environment, Edwin Poots, Social Development Minister Alex Attwood and Junior Minister, Robin Newton.


Among the issues to be discussed are marine renewable energy, housing co-operation and social inclusion.

Jersey, the Isle of Man and Guernsey will be represented by their respective chief ministers and the UK by two senior ministers.

However, before the UK's general election, Guernsey's Chief Minister Lyndon Trott said it was likely the new UK premier, David Cameron, would attend the council.

Gordon Brown did so shortly after becoming PM in 2007, but the PM is not following suit, with Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, to represent Great Britian.

Guernsey last hosted the annual conference in 2004.

The council was set up under the terms of the Northern Ireland peace agreement for the various governments to discuss matters of mutual interest and first met in 1999.

(BMcC/GK)