Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to the committee for the invitation and to the Chairman for his welcome. The Tánaiste regrets that he could not be here to discuss the review of foreign policy with the committee and he asked me to convey to the Chairman and members his regrets and his assurance that it is his intention to meet the committee on an early mutually convenient date to discuss recent developments in Northern Ireland and North-South issues.
I welcome the opportunity to address the committee on the review of foreign policy and external relations, which was launched by the Tánaiste on 8 October 2013. The purpose of the review is to provide an updated statement of Ireland’s foreign policy and external relations, and to identify a series of recommendations for its conduct. Our foreign policy and external relations are fundamental aspects of Government. They are the means by which we promote our values and pursue our interests abroad. Through it, we pursue Ireland’s economic prosperity and promote peace and security both at home and in the wider world. Our foreign policy is also a statement of who we are as a people, and how we wish ourselves to be seen by the outside world.
Following our successful EU Presidency last year, the chairmanship of the OSCE in 2012, and our election to the UN Human Rights Council, we have an opportunity to reflect on the future direction of our foreign policy, the values and interests we seek to promote through it, and how it contributes to achieving Government objectives. The vital work of restoring our international reputation and promoting our economic recovery are priorities for the Government. The international leadership roles we have undertaken as a country have done much to achieve this goal. Our embassies and other diplomatic and consular offices around the world are making a vital contribution. They are working hard to realise our goals - presenting the best case for Ireland, influencing decisions that affect us, working with the State agencies and Irish business in promoting our trade, tourism, education and investment, in addition to providing a full range of services to our citizens abroad, sometimes in difficult and tragic circumstances.
As we look to the future, and having exited the EU-IMF programme, it is timely to reflect on the future direction of our foreign policy. The review will consider a broad range of issues reflecting the breadth of our external engagement: how we set our external priorities; how we engage as an EU member state; how we contribute to economic recovery and growth through promoting our trade, tourism and investment; the pursuit of peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland; the services we provide to our citizens abroad and our relationship with the Irish diaspora; the contribution of our international development policy; and how we ensure Ireland is a respected international actor. These are all important issues, as are other aspects of our foreign policy which the review will consider.
Northern Ireland is not a foreign policy issueper sebut one with distinct foreign policy aspects that touches closely on a broad range of domestic policies and on the objective of national reconciliation. In this regard, the review will look at a number of aspects of the work of the Department in the area. Our work with regard to Northern Ireland operates at three levels. First, as part of a whole of Government approach, we support an all-island policy across sectoral areas. Second, as guarantors of the agreements, we are responsible for overseeing the implementation of and maintaining support for the principles, values, institutions and other bodies envisaged in those international agreements. Third, we are responsible for the articulation of Northern Ireland interests and of our Northern Ireland policy to other governments, particularly the US Administration and our EU partners.
North-South co-operation is promoted through the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh, through other bilateral ministerial and official engagement and through engagement with the wider business and civil community. It is a priority to complete the review of North-South co-operation. Part 1 of the review, which deals with the value for money of the North-South bodies, is essentially complete and attention has turned to the forward looking elements of the review. In this respect, Ministers on the North South Ministerial Council are considering their priorities in their respective areas of co-operation with a particular focus on efforts that will help economic recovery, job creation and the best use of public funds and the most effective delivery of services to those on the island.
The Good Friday Agreement has contributed to creating a sustainable peace and provides the mechanism to develop a strong all-island economy by presenting opportunities for beneficial co-operation on these islands. The St. Andrews Agreement review provides a further mechanism to explore specific areas, including growing exports, improving and upgrading of services, job creation, higher and further education and co-operating to improve access to international funding such as the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme which focuses on research and development and innovation.
The Government is firmly committed to supporting reconciliation.We progress this in a number of ways. First, there are some areas and principles of the agreements which underpin the peace process which have not as yet been implemented fully. The Government is committed to the full implementation of all aspects of the agreements as the best framework for reconciliation. Second, the Government takes seriously the need to deal sensitively with the legacy of the past including meeting the needs of victims. It is clear that the legacy of the past continues to have a corrosive and disruptive effect on politics and community relations in Northern Ireland. This informs our support for the ongoing political talks in Northern Ireland. The Tánaiste has made clear the Government’s commitment to playing an active and constructive role in dealing with the past and in encouraging agreement on a new architecture for dealing with the past to be agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive parties. Third, my Department through its reconciliation and anti-sectarianism fund supports cross-community and cross-Border projects. These funds work with a broad range of partners with the aim of challenging sectarianism and promoting respect and reconciliation across traditions in Northern Ireland, between North and South and between Britain and Ireland. A new strategy for the funds is being prepared and will be launched in 2014. The purpose of this strategy is to outline priorities for the funds in the next three years and a new funding framework to match these priorities, to ensure the funds remain relevant, effective and efficient in the coming years.
The decade of centenary commemorations, already under way, has the potential to present risks to the peace process by enhancing division and igniting sectarianism. However, it also has the potential to enrich narratives and to provide opportunities for acknowledgement and reconciliation. The Department’s approach is guided by the principles of historical accuracy, mutual respect, tolerance and inclusivity. The reconciliation fund provides support for a number of commemorative projects as part of its regular funding of community and voluntary groups. In total, €116,000 was awarded by the reconciliation fund for expressly commemorations related projects in 2013. Some political parties have made submissions setting out their thinking on all aspects of the review, including those related to the Good Friday Agreement. I thank them for these contributions, which will be examined carefully in terms of preparing the outcome of the review.
I refer to how the review is being taken forward. Given the wide-ranging nature of our foreign policy and external relations, it is important we consult widely. The Department is facilitating a broad-based consultation process, involving all Departments, State agencies, academics and experts, business organisations, interested stakeholders and civil society. A public consultation exercise has produced a wide range of views and submissions, reflecting the breadth and depth of our foreign policy. We will take these submissions into account as we proceed with the review. It is important the Oireachtas should make its contribution to the review, as it does to the process of shaping and overseeing our foreign policy, through the work of this and other committees on an ongoing basis.

The Tánaiste has discussed the review with the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Minister of State, Deputy Donohoe, has addressed the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. Issues raised here today, as well as at these other meetings, will constitute an important input to the review process. We also welcome written inputs from this committee and from individual Members of the Oireachtas.

The review will also take account of a number of recently concluded or ongoing review processes, including the Government's new policy for international development, One World, One Future, adopted in May 2013; the White Paper on Defence currently being prepared by the Minister for Defence; the review of the Government's trade, tourism and investment strategy, Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy; and the review of our diaspora engagement.

This is a timely and important review. Its outcome, scheduled for the second quarter of this year, will be a policy document setting out the core objectives of Ireland's foreign policy and the measures and instruments required to secure their delivery. I look forward to today's discussion, to hearing the views of members, and to receiving further input in due course. With the committee's agreement, I do not propose to respond in detail to policy suggestions at this time. However, I will take careful note of all proposals, as will the officials with me today, and these will be fully taken into account when preparing the outcome of the review.