Brendan Howlin
Question:7. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he plans to visit countries in receipt of Irish development aid. [31437/17]
View answerMinisterial Travel
Questions (7)
Written answers
I can confirm that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade plans to visit the Horn of Africa region in early November where he will meet with national political leaders and the heads of regional organisations such as the Africa Union. Ireland maintains strong political, economic and development ties through our Embassies in Ethiopia and Kenya. These will be further enhanced by the Minister’s visit. During that visit, Minister Coveney will see first-hand the development and humanitarian programmes supported by Ireland, and managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Ireland’s bilateral country programme in Ethiopia is our largest and this year amounts to €29 million. The programme is focused on supporting social protection, agriculture, maternal and child health and nutrition programmes, and on meeting the significant humanitarian needs in the country.
Ireland has a small development programme in Kenya of €450,000 which is focused on developing business links, and on improving the business environment in Kenya. Ireland also supports the development work of missionary and civil society organisations in Kenya.
Working with our UN and NGO partners, Ireland provides significant humanitarian assistance to Somalia. To date in 2017, €5.7 million has been provided to support life-saving operations. We also support our NGO partners’ long-term development work in Somalia.
While at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Minister Coveney will have a series of bilateral meetings with a number of African national leaders and will discuss Ireland’s political and economic relations with the continent. It is likely that these meetings will result in further requests to deepen links including through inward and outward visits.
Questions Nos. 8 to 13, inclusive, answered orally.
Brexit Issues
Questions (14)
Stephen Donnelly
Question:14. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he will take to maintain and enhance British Irish relations, in view of Brexit and the consequences it will have on the relationship between the two countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39848/17]
View answerWritten answers
The Government has made clear that we do not want the United Kingdom to leave the EU, the Single Market, or the Customs Union, but ultimately that is a decision for the people of the United Kingdom and we respect the democratic outcome of the referendum in June of last year.
Ireland maintains a strong and constructive relationship with both the UK and with our EU partners. We are fully committed to maintaining and enhancing both relationships, and we will also work to secure the closest possible positive relationship between the UK and the European Union.
During the Taoiseach’s visit to London in May of this year, his first official overseas visit in office, Prime Minister May spoke of her desire to establish a “close and special partnership” with Ireland after Brexit. Even though we share this objective, there can be no room for complacency.
Numerous channels will continue to exist for Irish-British engagement and both Governments continue to make extensive and effective use of these. The Good Friday Agreement provides for important institutional cooperation on an east-West basis through the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference (BIIGC) and the British Irish Council (BIC).
Other channels of contact and cooperation have developed over the years as the relationship between these islands has grown closer. For example, in 2012, a process was established involving summits between the Taoiseach and the UK Prime Minister, supported by a Joint Work Programme managed at official level by the heads of all government departments in both London and Dublin. In addition, the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) brings together elected representatives from the Oireachtas, Westminster, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the Scottish and Welsh devolved assemblies.
Deputies will also be aware of ongoing contact between Government Ministers and their UK counterparts across a range of policy areas. In recent months, a number of Ministers have engaged with their UK counterparts, including the Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. These are just some examples of ongoing ministerial engagement and similar engagement will continue routinely.
In addition, there have been a number of successful high-level visits in recent years, most notably the state visit by President Higgins to the UK in 2014 and the state visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011. Most recently, President Higgins travelled to Dumfries House in Scotland at the invitation of the Prince of Wales. This follows the visit of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to Ireland earlier this year, their third visit in as many years.
The Embassy of Ireland in London will remain our largest bilateral Embassy in the world, and this year two additional diplomatic officers have been assigned to the Embassy. The Consulate General in Edinburgh was also assigned an additional diplomat in 2015. ‘Team Ireland’ enjoys a significant footprint in Britain with our trade, tourism, and investment agencies continuing to make a positive impact. With 600,000 Irish-born, and as many as one in four of Irish descent living in Britain, the Irish community continues to be recognised for its positive contribution to modern British society. In this context, there are over 60,000 Irish-born Directors of British companies.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also works very closely with the British Embassy in Dublin, as well as British agencies based in Ireland. These help to foster British-Irish relationships at home and organisations like the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce are growing rapidly, showing the importance of this relationship to businesses in Ireland.
The work of both governments marking recent centenary anniversaries in the spirit of historical accuracy, mutual respect, inclusiveness, and reconciliation reflects the courteous and constructive British-Irish relationship that has developed over many decades. The commemoration of 1916, the Battle of the Somme and the joint memorial at Messines in June of this year have all contributed to this. We are intent on ensuring this relationship continues to improve into the future.
It is clear that there are a wide range of arrangements in place to allow for constructive and mutually-beneficial dialogue with the UK and the continued strengthening of the British-Irish relationship. However, as our paths diverge, I am mindful of the need to ensure that we protect the progress made over the last few decades since we joined the EU together and to continue to develop the positive relationship we enjoy today.
Questions Nos. 15 to 18, inclusive, answered orally.