Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte is fiche roimh na teachtairí ó Rialtas na hAlban dúinne. I welcome Mr. Robertson. I am delighted to have the opportunity to interact with him.

I want to make one point on Ukraine before I ask two other questions. My question on Ukraine may not be for Mr. Robertson because it is obviously a British Home Office matter. There is concern here that a number of refugees - people fleeing from terror in Ukraine who want to come to the United Kingdom because they have family members in the United Kingdom - cannot get access right now. Some are coming to Ireland. I had contact in my office in Wexford this week with a mother and daughter who decided to come to Ireland and apply to access the UK from here. I am wondering if there is any help Mr. Robertson can give to ensure that if there are people with direct family connections in the United Kingdom who, for practical reasons, are fleeing terror, want to escape and find it more convenient to come to Ireland, they would have their visas processed quickly here.

On the trade distortions post Brexit, I chair the economics committee of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and we are doing a report on the trade changes post Brexit on these islands. We are taking evidence on the island of Ireland and we intend to go to the UK side to take evidence there as well before preparing our report. I represent the constituency of Wexford where the port of Rosslare has seen an increase of more than 300% in direct continental traffic since Brexit. More and more freight operators are not using the land bridge but travelling directly to the Continent. That practice will increase with a new service regularly being added to an already burgeoning set of services.

This question may fall under the category of questions Mr. Robertson cannot answer. We are trying to get a handle on the operation of the protocol in Northern Ireland and its implications for trade there. Would that be the model the Scottish Government would seek to achieve, that is, continued membership of both markets post independence?

My third question relates to energy co-operation, which has probably accelerated in the last week, never mind in the last couple of months. There is an enormous focus on decarbonisation, which has accelerated. Frans Timmermans's declaration yesterday has underscored that for the European Union. Offshore wind will be a huge resource for these islands with regard to decarbonisation. Has the Scottish Government any practical engagement with the Irish Government to co-operate on the development and servicing of offshore wind?