The EU-UK issue is of real national importance and mitigating any negative impacts for Ireland is a strategic priority for this Government. We are therefore monitoring developments very closely, engaging with our British counterparts and doing all we can to help to ensure that the UK remains in the EU. For my part and that of my Department, this includes regular engagement at political level with the British Foreign Secretary and ongoing diplomatic engagement through our Embassy in London, Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and across the member states of the European Union and beyond. At home and abroad, we also engage with a large cross-section of opinion leaders and members of civil society engaged in this debate. I met in Dublin with the British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond MP, on 19 June. Building on the regular exchanges we have had since last year, we discussed the current negotiations in the light of the re-appointment of Prime Minister Cameron in May and I outlined the Irish approach in detail.
The Taoiseach met with Prime Minister Cameron in London on 18 June. Both my meeting with the Foreign Secretary and the Taoiseach’s meeting with the Prime Minister were very positive and constructive. We have made clear to our UK colleagues how much value we attach to the fact that both our countries are members of the EU. We have said that without necessarily agreeing on all points, Ireland will be as helpful in the negotiations as we can be.
The issue is also of importance to our partners in the EU, and indeed to the EU as a whole. It arises frequently in discussions with my EU counterparts, not just at Council meetings but also in bilateral encounters. Furthermore, it is of obvious interest to governments outside of the EU and the matter is raised with me regularly by my counterparts around the world.
At the European Council on 25 to 26 June, Prime Minister Cameron presented a brief outline of his proposals for possible changes to EU policy and legislation. A lengthy debate did not take place at that meeting but partners agreed that consultations would be undertaken to see how the proposals might be taken forward. The outcome of that process will be reviewed by the European Council in December.
The government welcomes the recent publication by the Joint Committee on EU Affairs on the subject of the EU-UK relationship. It acknowledges that British membership is important not just for Ireland, but for the EU as a whole. The report makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the issues at stake and is a powerful symbol of the cross-party consensus that Ireland is best served by our closest neighbour and friend remaining in the Union.
The Government fully recognises that the economic dimension to this issue is particularly significant. Regular contact is maintained with business groups who also understand how crucial common EU membership is for the Irish-British bilateral economic relationship. Further work is being undertaken to enhance that understanding, including research that the Department of Finance has commissioned from the Economic and Social Research Institute on macro-economic links between the UK and Ireland in the context of joint membership of the EU.
More widely, Government Departments are also very much engaged on the matter and have been so for some time. Preparatory work has already been undertaken on the issues that might arise for Ireland. This has included an examination of the policy areas that might be affected by a change in the nature of the EU-UK relationship, including a possible British exit from the Union. I want to emphasise, however, that the main focus of our work has been on examining how to secure British membership of the Union. That will continue to be the case.
