To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on their Department's work with regard to relations with the European Union.

Mrs O'Neill (The First Minister)

Engagement with the European Union remains an important priority, given our unique situation under the Windsor framework. In the past year, the deputy First Minister and I have represented the Executive at the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee at its meetings in April 2025 and, most recently, in February 2026 to ensure that our views are presented to the EU and the British Government on the implementation of the Windsor framework. We engaged directly with senior EU representatives, including the EU ambassador, Pedro Serrano, alongside ambassadors from several EU member states, during a visit in late 2025. Through the Interministerial Group on UK-EU Relations and bilateral discussions with the Minister for the Cabinet Office, we have engaged with the British Government to ensure that our interests are represented in the ongoing negotiations with the EU. Through our Brussels office, we maintain strong working relationships with EU institutions and member states, ensuring that relevant developments in EU policy and legislation are fed back to our Departments. During St Patrick's week, our junior Ministers travelled to Brussels to raise our profile with key EU partners, including the chair of the European Parliament delegation to Britain, Sandro Gozi MEP. Finally, Members will be aware of the Executive Office's role in supporting delivery of the EU PEACE PLUS programme, which continues to make a difference to communities here.

Mrs O'Neill

There is obviously a lot of global volatility. In our international relations strategy, we need to take account of all the changes that are happening. The Member is, however, right to say that it is clear that the British Government plan to introduce and enact new UK-EU arrangements. We need to play our part, and we then need to ensure that any new arrangements are reflected in our future international relations strategy. We have engaged with Nick Thomas-Symonds on the substance of the legislation that is to be introduced, because we want to have early sight of it so that we are able to influence it. All of what I have mentioned will keep resulting in changes to our international relations strategy, so that piece of work needs to be done in order to allow us to produce our strategy, which we are committed to doing.

Ms Ní Chuilín

I thank John Blair for tabling the question. Does the First Minister agree that strengthened cooperation, particularly with Europe, in order to maximise opportunities for people here is the only way in which we will see tangible benefits?

Mrs O'Neill

I do agree, particularly given that we continue to deal with the outworkings of what was a divisive Brexit and with the post-Brexit reality in which we all now operate. There is no escaping the fact that Brexit has had long and lasting negative impacts on our economy, our businesses, our farmers, our students and, of late, our community and voluntary sector. To mitigate some of those impacts, we have to take every opportunity that we have to rebuild relationships. As I said, I welcome the fact that enhanced discussions are taking place at British Government and EU level to improve relationships, to provide stability and to iron out barriers, where they occur, for businesses and consumers alike. Alongside doing that piece of work, we have dual market access, which is a unique selling point for us. Caoimhe Archibald continues to drive forward our strategy. She has travelled across Europe to try to drum up interest in this place as being a great place in which to invest, which, in turn, will grow our economy. We therefore have to maximise that opportunity, because it is a strength, and, at the same time, we have to minimise all the negativity that there is about the post-Brexit trading reality.

Mr Kingston

It is clear that the protocol and the Windsor framework continue to provide considerable challenges to businesses across Northern Ireland. Does the First Minister agree that tinkering around the edges is not enough and that we need the Government to act decisively to protect trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Mrs O'Neill

I want to maximise all our opportunities, but the reality is that, sponsored by the Member's party, we now have a post-Brexit trading reality. The rest of the parties of the Assembly and Executive have worked to try to find mitigations for the worst impacts of the outworkings of Brexit and to reach into dual market access. There is no doubt that there are barriers to trade, and I do not want to see barriers to trade across this island or between our islands. I want there to be maximum opportunities for all our businesses to tap into some of that economic growth, but the reality is that there will be ongoing changes in this post-Brexit world. However, we will continue to raise those issues, as we have done the whole way through. I outlined in the initial answer some of the engagement that we have had with all the relevant Ministers, which we did because we want them to hear the challenges that our businesses are facing and we want to find solutions. The legislation on the new strategic partnership at British Government and EU level will hopefully deal with some of those things. Let us keep trying to find answers to the problems that arise in the post-Brexit world.

Dr Aiken

First Minister, last week, the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee was in Brussels and had briefings from the excellent Office of the Northern Ireland Executive, which is not the most catchily named office. It came out that the additional staff there are only there on a year-by-year basis. If we are serious about, as you say, making the opportunities work, can we move those staff on to a permanent employment structure rather than a year-by-year arrangement, which does not speak to the permanence of relationships or improving long-term relationships?

Mrs O'Neill

The Member has visited the office in Brussels and knows that it is there to support the Executive in our relationships with the EU. I do not engage with individual HR matters. However, it is important that, if we are to build good relationships, which have been very much damaged during the whole Brexit debacle, it is a good thing to have permanent staff to build those relationships and get things done. I am sure that the Member follows this, given his role on the Committee, but there is also a quarterly report to the Assembly on the work that is happening in our office in Brussels so that we are transparent about what is happening. Hopefully, that is helpful to Members. The ongoing staffing issue is an issue for the Civil Service more widely.

Ms McLaughlin

First Minister, the Irish presidency of the EU is coming up. That is very significant and is an opportunity to help us build relationships. Have you made any contacts in order to strengthen those relationships during that period?

Mrs O'Neill

Yes, I have raised that directly with the Irish Government. It is important that, when Ireland has the presidency for six months, we are part of that. Across all sectors, there will be a huge amount of engagement during that six-month period, and we want to have a part in that. I have made that representation directly to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and to Helen McEntee in her role as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I look forward to seeing how that unfolds when Ireland takes the presidency in June.