THE 41st British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly meeting was held in the Island in November - but the second day of it was cancelled.

Day two of the two-day event was scrapped as delegates from Ireland had to return home early because of the major financial problems facing their country.

The Irish government was in crisis after the Greens, a junior party in the coalition, called for a general election.

That followed the decision to apply for a multi-billion pound bailout loan, with Britain providing £7 billion.

It was the first time a plenary sitting of the assembly had been held in the Isle of Man.

Membership of the Assembly includes representatives from the UK Parliament, the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly, Tynwald and the States of Guernsey and Jersey.

The Assembly is co-chaired by Lord Cope of Berkeley from the Houses of Parliament and Niall Blaney TD from the Houses of the Oireachtas.