The Moderator, Rt. Rev. Dr. Noble McNeely, led the Presbyterian delegation as part of a wider three-Church group today that involved representatives of the Church of Ireland and Methodist Church in Ireland in a bilateral meeting with ministers in Government Buildings, Dublin, under the Church–State structured dialogue process. The meeting took place at the invitation of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD.

The Moderator was joined by Very Rev. Dr. Trevor Morrow, Convenor of PCI’s Republic of Ireland Panel and Rev. Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The delegation from the Church of Ireland included The Most Rev. Dr. Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, The Most Rev. Dr. Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, Rev. Canon Gillian Wharton and Ken Gibson, both Honorary Secretaries of the Church of Ireland General Synod. The Methodist Church in Ireland delegation included, Dr. Fergus O’Ferrall, Lay Leader of the Methodist Conference, Rev. Andrew Dougherty, District Superintendent, Dublin District and Liz Parkin, Secretary, Council for Social Responsibility, Southern Executive.

After the meeting, Archbishop Richard Clarke, on behalf of the three Churches, said, "We welcomed the opportunity to meet the Taoiseach and his ministers today as part of the Church–State dialogue, which we were assured will be a continuing and constructive two–way conversation. Our wide–ranging discussion included many of the most important and pressing social and ethical matters relating to contemporary Irish society."

The agenda for the meeting included: migration, direct provision and overseas aid, the impact of Brexit on Ireland and Northern Ireland, abortion and the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, homelessness, social housing and wider economic issues and Education issues.

The delegation representing the Government included the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD, Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Education and Skills, Charlie Flanagan TD, Minister for Justice and Equality, Heather Humphries TD, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Simon Harris TD, Minister for Health, Shane Ross TD, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Regina Doherty TD, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Ciaran Cannon TD, Minister for State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Martin Fraser, Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach, Brian Murphy, Chief of Staff, Department of the Taoiseach and Miriam Dollard, Protocol and General Division, Department of the Taoiseach.

Representatives of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Church of Ireland and Methodist Church in Ireland in a bilateral meeting under the Church–State structured dialogue process with ministers in Government Buildings, Dublin