UK-Ireland summit held in Cork
By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association
The UK prime minister is meeting the Taoiseach in Co Cork for the second UK-Ireland Summit.
Keir Starmer was greeted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Fota House ahead of a series of meetings involving ministers from both governments.
Earlier, the two leaders visited the Tyndall National Institute, an electronics research centre at University College Cork.
The high cost of fuel and energy is expected to dominate discussions which will focus on energy links between Britain and Ireland.
An interconnector between Wales and Ireland is expected to provide enough power for 570,000 homes, and represent at least €855 million (£740 million) of private investment.
A separate energy connector between Northern Ireland and Ireland aims to lower electricity costs on the island.
The UK and Irish governments are also expected to discuss joint exercises to test the resilience of subsea fibre optic cables which run between the UK and Ireland, and a “crackdown” on shadow fleets and other threats in the Irish and Celtic seas, through a refreshed UK-Ireland Defence Memorandum of Understanding.
On Thursday, Starmer said more than €1 billion (£900 million) of new Irish investment into the UK was part of the “flourishing” ties between Ireland and Britain.
The £937 million in new investment from companies in Ireland is expected to create about 850 jobs across London, Doncaster, South Wales and Scotland, and covers gas networks, AI and cloud-computing, and financial services.
As the high cost of fuel and energy is expected to dominate discussions at the Cork summit, energy links between Britain and Ireland will also be emphasised.
The Government is also represented by Tánaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence Minister Helen McEntee, Energy and Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien, and Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan.
The first UK-Ireland Summit took place in Liverpool in March last year, as part of what the Taoiseach and prime minister hailed as a “reset” in relations which brought about enhanced co-operation on projects to 2030.
The 2026 programme included a business roundtable event, a civic and cultural reception, an engagement with the Ireland-UK Youth Forum Advisory Group and a research-focused visit.
The prime minister is joined by UK energy secretary Ed Miliband, environment secretary Emma Reynolds, and business secretary Peter Kyle.
Starmer and Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn met the North's political parties on Thursday.
