"The British Irish Parliamentary Assembly is about building solid relationships between Ireland and the UK" . That's according to Minister of State for the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy.
The Minister is addressing the Assembly this afternoon as it convenes in Cavan. Looking at Northern Ireland and the border region, Minister Brophy highlighted how there was "still time" for Stormont to get up and running.
He added the onus of responsibility in relation to that remained with all the political parties in the North. "At the heart of the relationship is a people relationship.
"Governments come and go, institutions come and go, and history changes over decades and centuries. But other one constant that is always there is the fact that as Irish people and as British people we have a lot more in common and a lot more that we agree on.
"Therefore there is a closeness and a bond there."
