Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2014
446. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the recent discussions he had with the British Foreign Secretary on Britain's continued membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48979/14]
View answerI met with the British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, during his visit to Dublin on 16 December. We discussed a number of issues, including the matter of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The Government’s fundamental position on this is unequivocal: we want the United Kingdom to remain a full, integral member of the EU. This is very much in Ireland’s interests, especially in economic terms. But it is also in the interests of Irish-British relations, which have benefited significantly to date from our joint membership of the EU and are now in better shape than at any time in our shared history. It should not be overlooked either that the Union is better and stronger for having the UK as a member. I made all this very clear in a speech at the European Council on Foreign Relations in London in November, where I also underlined some of the various EU policy areas where Ireland and the UK take a similar approach. This includes issues like trade, the completion of the single market and the need for better regulation. Ireland wants an EU that is focussed on jobs, investment and growth, and I am confident we can work together with the UK in pursuit of this common goal.
My meeting with Foreign Secretary Hammond provided a valuable opportunity to set out our views and to discuss these issues in more detail.
One sensitive issue in this context is that of freedom of movement within the EU. The Government’s position is that this principle is a cornerstone of the Union and should not be compromised. I welcomed, in my discussion with Foreign Secretary, Prime Minister Cameron’s recent affirmation that the UK feels similarly.
