Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcomed the President of the European Council, Mr. Tusk, to Dublin on 7 September. This was his first visit to Ireland in his current role, although he had visited before when he was Prime Minister of Poland. His visit to Dublin took place in the context of the Bratislava summit on 16 September and his intention to meet or speak to all Heads of State and Government in advance of that.

Our meeting in Dublin allowed us to exchange views about the main challenges and priorities of the European Union and where the focus of discussions at the Bratislava summit and beyond should be. We discussed the range of serious challenges facing the Union, including those relating to migration, economic stability and growth, security and Brexit. We agreed that the Bratislava summit should be part of the process of political reflection launched in June to look at the future of the EU and what we can do to improve the lives of our citizens in a real way.

I acknowledged the concerns of many of our EU partners regarding migration, terrorism and security. Of course I also highlighted the priority that Ireland and many other EU partners attach to economic issues, including investment, employment, the Single Market and the digital single market. I said that we should consider concrete measures in the areas which would directly and positively affect the lives of EU citizens. More generally, I assured President Tusk of Ireland's continued assistance and support in building a comprehensive response to the different and complex issues we face. I emphasised the need for a balanced approach as the process of reflection about the future of Europe continues. Further meetings are scheduled to take place in Malta in early spring and in Rome in March.

Although the meeting with President Tusk was not about the UK decision to leave the EU, we reaffirmed the agreed principles that there can be no negotiations before the UK triggers Article 50 and that access to the Single Market requires acceptance of all four freedoms. I gave him a brief account of my July meeting with the UK Prime Minister, Ms May, in Downing Street and took the opportunity to reiterate Ireland's specific concerns on this issue, particularly regarding Northern Ireland and the related Border and citizenship issues, the common travel area and the interconnectedness of our economies.

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