Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2015
496. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the 19th North-South Ministerial Council meeting held on 5 December 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47704/14]
View answer497. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if corporation tax was discussed at the North-South Ministerial Council on 5 December 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47705/14]
View answer498. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outstanding issues from the Good Friday Agreement that were discussed at the North-South Ministerial Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47707/14]
View answer499. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the recommendations from the Haass talks were discussed at the North-South Ministerial Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47708/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 496 to 499, inclusive, together.
The nineteenth meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in plenary format was held in Armagh on 5 December 2014.
At the meeting, discussions covered economic and budgetary issues in both jurisdictions. The Council welcomed the broadly encouraging prospects while recognising that challenges remain. The recent announcement by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer on Corporation Tax was also discussed. Both administrations reflected on their respective successes in attracting external investment while acknowledging that there is a key role to be played by indigenous companies in economic development. The opportunities to work together on Joint Trade Missions and on developing new markets were also recognised.
The Council noted that, following Ministerial consideration of a report on the feasibility of submitting a joint bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023, it had been agreed to support the IRFU’s bid, and indeed the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, First Minister, deputy First Minister and other Ministers had attended the launch of the bid in Armagh just before the Plenary meeting. The Council discussed the potential benefits hosting such an event would bring to both jurisdictions and agreed that the relevant Ministers should work closely together to ensure the strongest possible bid is submitted.
Ministers noted that the new draft PEACE and INTERREG Programmes are currently with the European Commission for consideration and it is hoped that the final Programmes will be launched in Spring 2015.
The Council welcomed the ongoing discussions between Ministers at NSMC meetings on the potential for collaboration to draw down EU funds and noted that there is active engagement between both jurisdictions on the opportunities available. The Council looked forward to a further progress report at its next meeting.
Ministers also noted the position on Sectoral Priorities and the North West Gateway Initiative and agreed to keep these matters on its agenda. They also discussed the Progress Report prepared by the NSMC Joint Secretaries on the work of the North South Bodies and in the other NSMC areas for co-operation and noted the current position on a North South Consultative Forum.
There was an in-depth discussion on Child Protection issues with a particular focus on e-Safety, and the good collaborative work already taking place, both within the NSMC structures and elsewhere was noted. Ministers recognised that issues such as these are cross-cutting and cross-jurisdictional and will require an ongoing collaborative approach between both administrations. The Council agreed that Ministers who have a remit in Child Protection and E-Safety related activities should engage with their counterparts in the opposite jurisdiction to explore whether there is potential for further collaboration. It was also agreed that this topic should be revisited at a future meeting.
The next plenary meeting of the NSMC is scheduled to take place in early summer 2015, and I am looking forward to continuing to work closely and constructively on all of these issues with our Northern colleagues in the North South Ministerial Council.
Strand Two of the Good Friday Agreement provided for the establishment of the North/South Ministerial Council and the North/South Implementation Bodies. It also provided that consideration be given to a North/South Consultative Forum and a North/South Parliamentary Forum. The St Andrews Agreement provided further that the Northern Ireland Executive would support the establishment of an independent North/South Consultative Forum.
With the establishment in 2012 of the North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association, which is in effect the North/South Parliamentary Forum envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement, the only Strand Two institution that remains outstanding is the North/South Consultative Forum. The Government continues to support the establishment of the Consultative Forum, and the Taoiseach has raised the Forum at each Plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council he has attended including the most recent meeting on 5 December.
The other outstanding issues from the Good Friday Agreement and the recommendations from the Haass talks were not discussed at the NSMC Plenary meeting as they are not Strand Two issues and are therefore not among the matters discussed at NSMC meetings. However, key outstanding matters from the Good Friday and St Andrews Agreement were discussed in the recent Stormont House talks.
During the course of the talks, the Government advanced the view that a Bill of Rights could set out precisely and formally the rights upon which a shared society for Northern Ireland could be based. Sufficient consensus between the Northern Ireland Executive Parties did not exist to take this forward within the context of the Stormont House Agreement. However, the final Agreement provided that the parties commit to serving the people of Northern Ireland equally, and to act in accordance with the obligations on government to promote equality and respect and to prevent discrimination; to promote a culture of tolerance, mutual respect and mutual understanding at every level of society, including initiatives to facilitate and encourage shared and integrated education and housing, social inclusion, and in particular community development and the advancement of women in public life; and to promote the interests of the whole community towards the goals of reconciliation and economic renewal.
It is a matter of regret that agreement could not be reached on an Irish Language Act as part of the Stormont House Agreement. While the St. Andrews Agreement did provide a commitment to introduce an Irish Language Act, the British Government made it clear during the recent talks that, as language matters were now devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, it would not legislate at Westminster for such an Act. It was equally clear that the necessary consensus among the parties for such legislation in the Northern Ireland Assembly was not forthcoming. Nevertheless, the Stormont House Agreement does contain an important and formal recognition by the British and Irish Government of the need for respect for, and recognition of, the Irish language in Northern Ireland.
In regard to the commitment in the Good Friday Agreement to establish a Civic Forum in Northern Ireland, I welcome that the Stormont House Agreement provides for the establishment of a civic advisory panel to meet regularly on key social, cultural and economic issues and to advise the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Government will continue its efforts to ensure that the full potential of the Agreements is realised towards achieving effective partnership government, genuine reconciliation between divided communities and economic prosperity for all in Northern Ireland.
