British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly

Purpose	Governmental relations (deliberative body)
Headquarters	Secretariat London and Dublin
Origins	Good Friday Agreement
Region served	British Isles Ireland
Membership (1999)	8;  United Kingdom  Scotland  Wales Northern Ireland  Republic of Ireland  Isle of Man  Guernsey  Jersey
Official language	English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Irish, Welsh
Co-chairs	Karen Bradley Brendan Smith
Joint-Clerks	Martyn Atkins Regina Boyle
Membership	25 members from the UK Parliament 25 members from the Oireachtas 5 members from the Scottish Parliament 5 members from the Welsh Parliament 5 members from the Northern Ireland Assembly 1 member from the High Court of Tynwald 1 member of the States of Guernsey 1 member from the States of Jersey
Website	http://www.britishirish.org/

The British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) is a special group of politicians. These politicians are elected members from different law-making bodies. They come from Ireland, the United Kingdom, and nearby islands. BIPA's main job is to help these elected people understand each other better. They work together on important topics.

BIPA includes 25 members from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It also has 25 members from the Oireachtas (Ireland's parliament). There are five members each from the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Finally, one member each comes from the States of Jersey, the States of Guernsey, and the Tynwald of the Isle of Man.

How BIPA Started

BIPA started in 1990. It was first called the British–Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (BIIPB). At first, it only had 25 members from the UK Parliament. It also had 25 members from the Irish Parliament.

In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed. This agreement helped bring peace to Northern Ireland. It also led to the creation of the British–Irish Council. This Council brings together government ministers. The Agreement also suggested that elected groups should work together more. This led to BIIPB growing bigger.

In 2001, more members joined the group. These new members came from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Jersey. This made the group more complete.

BIPA Meetings and Discussions

BIPA holds meetings where members discuss important issues. In February 2010, they had their 40th big meeting in Cavan, Ireland. Later that year, in November 2010, their 41st meeting took place in Douglas. This was the first time a BIPA meeting was held in a Crown Dependency.

Important people often speak at BIPA meetings. In October 2018, Karen Bradley, a British government minister, spoke to the assembly. In October 2019, another British minister, Christopher Pincher, talked about how important cooperation between the UK and Ireland was after Brexit.

In October 2022, BIPA held its 62nd meeting. Lawmakers from Ireland, the UK, Crown Dependencies, and British Overseas Territories met. They talked about trade and other shared interests. They also published reports on topics like trade after Brexit and vaccine distribution.

The 64th meeting happened in May 2023. It was the first time a Crown Dependency hosted the meeting. Delegates traveled to Jersey for this event.

Who is Part of BIPA?

BIPA includes members from different parliaments and assemblies. Here is a list of who is part of BIPA:

Member name	Symbols		Parliament	Membership	Membership status	Members	Represented since
	Arms	Flag
United Kingdom			Parliament of the United Kingdom	full	sovereign state	25 each	1990
Republic of Ireland			Oireachtas
Scotland			Scottish Parliament		devolved government	5 each	1999
Wales			Senedd
Northern Ireland			Northern Ireland Assembly
Jersey			States Assembly		crown dependency	1 each
Isle of Man			Tynwald
Guernsey			States of Guernsey

What Does BIPA Do?

The British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly holds two big meetings each year. These are called plenary sessions. During these sessions, all the members come together to discuss important matters.

BIPA also has four smaller groups called committees. These committees meet several times a year. They focus on different topics. These topics include matters between the Irish and UK parliaments, European affairs, money matters, the environment, and social issues.

The committees write reports on these topics. These reports are then shared with governments for their thoughts. The reports are also discussed during the big plenary meetings. A special steering committee helps organize all the work. It also handles how BIPA is run.

See also

• Council of Ireland
• North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association
• North/South Ministerial Council
• North/South Consultative Forum
• British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference
• British–Irish Council
• Interparliamentary Forum