Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 January 2021
166. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to develop closer relations between Ireland and Scotland; if these relations can be enhanced on a bilateral basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3531/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government outlines the Government's ambitions for Irish-British relations in the coming years, and includes a specific commitment to deepen and intensify links with the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland, as part of a broader strategy of renewed east-west engagement.
The reopening of Ireland's Consulate General in Cardiff in 2019 reflects the Government’s commitment to engage in all regions of the UK, as does the announcement last November that planning for a new Consulate for the North of England, to be situated in Manchester, will now proceed.
In terms of our relationship with Scotland, I was very glad to meet with Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Relations, Mike Russell on 14 January to mark the launch of the Ireland Scotland bilateral review report. The aim of the review, as set out at the time of its launch in November 2019, was to consolidate existing ties in the new context of the UK being outside the EU, and to unlock the further untapped potential in many areas of the Irish-Scottish relationship.
The review report provides a new framework for co-operation which will see the deepening of the Ireland-Scotland relationship for our mutual benefit from now until 2025.
Authored and finalised jointly with the Scottish side, the report contains 41 recommendations to deliver on Irish and Scottish joint ambitions in five areas, for which the Scottish Government has devolved authority: business and the economy; community and diaspora; culture; academic and research links; and rural, coastal and island communities. There are also recommendations covering overall government and political relations.
Work in the business and economy sector will be prioritised to support economic and social recovery from the pandemic, with a focus on supporting Irish-Scottish business connectivity in the years ahead. There are rich opportunities for future collaboration under the rural, coastal and island communities strand, reflecting our common coastal and rural priorities, as well as common challenges faced by communities in both Scotland and Ireland. The report also recommends the continued deepening of long-standing Ireland-Scotland cooperation in the area of health; cooperation which has proven so fruitful over the last year.
I look forward to meeting with my Scottish counterpart again in the coming months. We will also meet to review jointly on an annual basis progress towards the implementation of the recommendations within the report, and to agree new recommendations.
