103. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach the issues discussed at the 45th summit meeting of the British-Irish Council in Guernsey on 10 July 2026. [54256/26]

I attended the 45th British-Irish Council summit, hosted by the Government of Guernsey in Saint Peter Port on 9/10 July 2026.

I was joined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee.

The theme of the summit was “Nurturing Beginnings: Strengthening Early Years and Family Support for Happy, Healthy Childhoods and Lifelong Wellbeing”.

Council members updated on their respective work in this area across the eight member administrations including, in Ireland’s case, setting out the Government’s commitment to high-quality inclusive early learning and care, accessible healthcare, parental supports and strong community networks.

Member administrations acknowledged the importance of cooperation and shared learning in relation to digital technologies in particular, which are having an increasingly large impact on children’s lives, and discussed growing awareness of the risks of digital access, as well as the opportunities of digital literacy.

Minister McEntee and I also updated the Council on recent political developments and on domestic and international topics of mutual interest, including in regard to the Middle East and Ukraine, and the launch of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU Council and priorities for our six month term in office.