Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 January 2021
129. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to develop closer relations between Ireland and Wales; if these relations can be enhanced on a bilateral basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4810/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government outlines Ireland's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with the UK following Brexit, including by deepening Ireland's relationships with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.
It further commits to expanding and developing mechanisms for engagement between the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Northern Irish Assembly, the UK Parliament and the parliaments in Wales and Scotland, as well as continuing to build on the work of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA).
The Good Friday Agreement in 1998 included the establishment of the British-Irish Council, and the 1997 advent of devolution in Britain led to the creation of what is now the Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru), and established a new basis for bilateral cooperation between Ireland and Wales.
The British-Irish Council remains an indispensable forum for cooperation and dialogue between the Irish and Welsh governments, including through our respective officials working side-by-side across its work sectors.
Developments in recent years have brought new energy to the bilateral relationship, including the opening of the Welsh Government office within the British Embassy in Dublin in 2012, and the reopening of Ireland’s Consulate General in Cardiff in 2019.
Ireland remains the only State with a Consulate General based in Wales, demonstrating Ireland's commitment to sustaining and developing our longstanding social, economic, political, and cultural links with our nearest neighbour.
Though Brexit has brought change, the Government is committed to maintaining the closest and deepest possible relationship between the UK and Ireland, and between Wales and Ireland.
Having recently launched the Ireland Scotland Bilateral Review Report, which provides a framework for cooperation with Scotland to 2025, I propose to similarly identify opportunities for deepening cooperation with Wales.
In this vein, I met virtually with Welsh First Minister, Mark Drakeford, on 21 January 2021. A very positive and constructive engagement, we had a wide ranging discussion, covering recent developments and opportunities for deepening cooperation between Ireland and Wales.
We identified a number of areas with further potential, from education to climate and sustainability, which officials are taking forward. We also discussed how we might build on the strong sectoral and regional networks developed over 25 years of participation in European Territorial Cooperation programmes, including the Ireland-Wales programme.
