Mr. Angus Robertson:

I thank the Chair and members for the opportunity to be appear before the committee. My colleagues, who are part of the Scottish Government delegation, and our colleagues, who are based in Dublin, are delighted to be here. This is my first visit to Ireland in my official capacity as Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. While I am disappointed not be to be able to time my trip to watch the rugby, I am nonetheless delighted to be here and I look forward to many visits in the future.

Ireland is Scotland's closest European Union neighbour and we value the Scottish-Ireland relationship very highly.

Earlier this morning, I met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, to discuss the progress we have made together on the framework for our future co-operation and collaboration, namely, the Scotland-Ireland joint bilateral review. Of course, we were meeting at a time when devastating war has broken out in Europe because of the outrageous actions of Russia's President Putin. Scotland, like Ireland, is doing everything it can to support people in Ukraine at this dreadful time and these events are a reminder of the importance of the close collaboration between countries, which share common values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

It is clear from the meeting we held earlier and the variety of work taking place across the full spectrum of the Scotland-Ireland relationship, that said relationship is in extremely good health. Of course, it is great to have that formalised structure, but it is the vibrant people-to-people connections, familial ties and interwoven history that binds us so close together as people.

Turning now to Brexit, I will not need to remind anybody in this room, but it is worth stating just for the record that Scotland did not vote for Brexit. We do not want it. It is our intention to rejoin the EU as quickly as we are able to. We very much see ourselves as a proudly European nation and that our future is within the EU as an independent country. We were inside the EU for 47 years, share the EU’s values and believe we have much to contribute.

It is clear that the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement marks a significant step backwards from our trading position within the EU, and that view is shared by the Scottish people. We know through polling that 75% of people in Scotland have a negative opinion about whether the UK has benefited from Brexit and only 2% of people in Scotland believe that Boris Johnson delivered a good Brexit deal. In this respect, regardless of constitutional circumstances, the Scottish Government will always be a supporter of efforts aimed at greater co-operation between the UK and the EU, and that close co-operation is in all our interests.

Scottish independence is, of course, a matter for the people of Scotland. Following the election in May of last year there is now a substantial majority in the Scottish Parliament in favour of an independence referendum. The Scottish Government is working to ensure that a legitimate and constitutional referendum can be held within this parliamentary term, and, if the Covid crisis is over, within the first half of the term. However, again, regardless of the constitutional settlement, the Scottish Government will always be a voice for the warmest possible relationship and partnership between the peoples of Scotland, the rest of the UK and Ireland. It was very good to be able to discuss with the Minister for Foreign Affairs the links and areas where we are focusing our efforts, such as the on economy, health, culture and a number of other concrete areas that will matter to all of members' constituents, no matter which part of Ireland they represent.

On that note, I will finish my remarks. I look forward to our discussion and answering any questions that members have. I look forward to the ongoing positive relations that we have between Scotland and Ireland.