Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Spain, Mr. Mariano Rajoy, held on 12 January 2017; the issues that were discussed regarding Brexit; the responses that he received; and if youth unemployment and immigration were discussed. [1904/17]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Spain, Mr. Mariano Rajoy, on 12 January 2017. [1908/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Spain, Mr. Mariano Rajoy. [1994/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach the outcome of his discussions with the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Rajoy, during his recent visit to Spain. [2741/17]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his visit to Spain and meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [2779/17]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 20, inclusive, together.

I met the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Mariano Rajoy, in Madrid on 12 January. Our meeting was extremely warm and constructive. The discussion focussed on EU-UK relations in light of Brexit and its implications for Ireland, Spain and the European Union more generally. My visit to Madrid was part of the Government’s programme of intensified strategic engagement with our European partners in advance of the commencement of negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. I took the opportunity to explain our particular concerns to the Spanish Prime Minister, including regarding our economy and trade, Northern Ireland, North-South relations, the common travel area and the future of the EU itself. The Spanish Prime Minister fully acknowledged these concerns and I was pleased to have his assurance that we share the objective of constructive negotiations towards a close future relationship between the EU and the UK.

I also discussed other key issues on the European agenda with Spanish Prime Minister, who was joined by his foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis, including migration, security, counter-terrorism, international trade and the European economy. We agreed that we should focus on delivering concrete initiatives in the Single Market and digital single market to boost jobs and growth. We also discussed the excellent Spanish-Irish bilateral relations, including trade and investment, tourism and police co-operation in the fight against organised crime. We reviewed the political and economic situations in our respective countries, noting, in particular, our economic growth figures and consequent falls in unemployment, which in both cases are moving in the right direction.

The Spanish Prime Minister also looked specifically at the question of Spanish receiving increased priority on the Irish educational curriculum.

We agreed to stay in close contact and to continue to work closely together over the coming period.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is clear that Spain has a problem with the issue of special status post-Brexit. It was said in the House of Commons yesterday that Spain would block Scotland from getting a different deal. Is that the Taoiseach’s understanding from his meetings with the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Rajoy? Did the Spanish Prime Minister tell the Taoiseach that Spain will oppose special status for Northern Ireland? Did the Taoiseach raise the matter with him and what was his response? It is worth pointing out that there is an enormous difference between the situation in Northern Ireland and the situation with potential breakaway states in Spain. We have an agreed architecture for deciding these issues. The idea of Northern Ireland being different from other parts of the United Kingdom has been accepted. In contrast in Spain, not only is there no agreed way of handling potential change, it is actually illegal to hold a referendum on separation.

I remind the Taoiseach that the Spanish Administration is also a minority Government that requires co-operation from the Opposition. If the Taoiseach wants to influence Spanish policy, he may have to go beyond his European People's Party, EPP, colleague. Has he done this or made arrangements to follow up? Are there any other arrangements for follow-up visits? Will the Taoiseach be engaging with the smaller parties in the Spanish Government or the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, which is a non-populist, Euro-constructive party?

I brought Spanish on to the primary school curriculum in the late 1990s in the modern languages in the primary school initiative, which, unfortunately, the former Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, abolished two years ago. Up to 550 primary schools took up Spanish, Italian, French and German. It cost €2.5 million but, for some unknown reason, it was got rid of. Is it possible to restore the programme?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I support Deputy Micheál Martin in that. The availability of teachers who have a language is important. The Deputy introduced Spanish, French, Italian and German, important languages in the European sense, to primary schools. It is certainly one thing I can say he did do. I might differ with him on other matters.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Unspoken.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I did discuss with the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Rajoy, the particular circumstances and the special situation which applies in Northern Ireland. It is different in Spain's case with Gibraltar in that when Spain joined the European Union, Gibraltar was with Britain. Any issues that arise will be between Spain and Britain. In respect of Catalonia, as the Deputy pointed out, it is illegal to hold a referendum on separation under the Spanish system.

I discussed with the Spanish Prime Minister the set-up his Government has to deal with. It is similar to what we had here where a majority Government existed previously. However, Spain had two elections in ten months and much waiting for negotiations. I said to the Spanish Prime Minister that it requires a different kind of operation and to think differently to reach out to parties and individuals, as well as to do business as it might not have been done before. I also pointed out to him that, in respect of Deputy Micheál Martin’s party, we had been able to put together a confidence and supply agreement which does not apply in Spain. He was interested in that. Maybe they have been working on it since we left.

In respect of the special status, he answered a question publicly afterwards that he was very much aware of the situation in so far as Northern Ireland is concerned and would be continuing to support that from a European perspective through the peace process.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It is interesting to get a sense of the Taoiseach's conversation with the Spanish Prime Minister. Ireland has long historical relationships with Spain but also with the people of Catalonia and the Basque country. There is absolutely no reason why the Spanish should not, if they were briefed properly by the Taoiseach, understand why the North is actually a disputed territory. The British have a claim to it but so do the people of the island of Ireland. That is why the mechanism is in place. The Good Friday Agreement is an accord which does not include agreement on a destination and this allows the people to decide whether the union with Britain continues or whether we go for Irish unity.

Coming back to what the Labour leaders were saying, it is important to recall that sovereignty is vested in parliament under the British system. If one wants to know what way the British Prime Minister is feeling about the devolved administrations, one only has to listen to the Scottish First Minister. She castigates the British Prime Minister for her attitude.

Ms May has no intention of allowing the Administrations in the North or Scotland to have any real say on these matters. What should our Government's position be? It should be to uphold the vote of the people in the North. It is so simple. The members of the Government are the guys and girls that were preaching to us in the North about accepting democratic votes and the majority and all that. A very clear, cross-community majority said they want to remain within the European Union.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy's time is up.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Tá mé críochnaithe anois. We are also arguing for a special designated status for the North. The Taoiseach asked me yesterday what that meant. I do not have the time to deal with it. I sent him this for Christmas and I will send it again.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Let Deputy Adams be under no illusions. I gave Prime Minister Rajoy a very detailed briefing of the situation that applies in Ireland. He is very aware of that. I have known him over many years and met him at different meetings. He made the point that there is serious investment in Britain from Spain and that a very sizeable number of British people live in Spain. He was interested in the issues that may arise when Britain leaves the Single Market but also in dealing with the British people who live in Spain and the Spaniards who live in Britain in the same way we have here. These are issues that are of real concern to people in respect of the benefits and rights they have at their disposal now.

I said to Deputy Adams yesterday that we dropped Articles 2 and 3 by constitutional referendum. The Deputy calls it a disputed territory, I call it Northern Ireland and the Six Counties. That is an issue that is now protected under the international agreement of Good Friday and is not fulfilled or comhlíonta in its entirety. We will work very hard with both the incoming assembly and the British Government to advance more issues to be completed under that. I have read the Deputy's document so he does not need to send it to me again. I have it on my desk. It is not just about extra resources. The issue here is contained in the Good Friday Agreement. I am concerned now about the post-Brexit vision for Northern Ireland and the post-Brexit vision for the Republic and our island economy in general. They are issues I intend to discuss with Prime Minister May when I meet her next week.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I thank the Taoiseach. I am conscious that Mr. Rajoy is a colleague of the Taoiseach in the European People's Party. It seems to me, given the issues and views he has continually expressed on Catalonia, that Spain will be strategically one of the very strongest advocates for the hardest Brexit possible to serve as a warning to regions like Catalonia that if they leave the comfort of Spain as a single country in a federal system, it will be pretty cold outside. In that context, what is the Taoiseach's assessment of what the stance of Spain will be? All the indicators, from the information available in the media about the Spanish status and the recent statement about Catalonia, are that Spain will be lining up with quite a few others for a hard Brexit. As the Prime Minister is a colleague of the Taoiseach in the European People's Party, which is a very conservative organisation, perhaps the Taoiseach can give us some insight. At the end of the day, there will have to be some very difficult negotiations. We are just not getting any sense of how the Taoiseach is strategically preparing for those negotiations.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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In respect of the Deputy's comment about Catalonia, as Deputy Martin pointed out, it is illegal to hold a referendum on separation in Spain. The Spanish courts would rule against it. The question of being outside in the cold does not arise in that context. It is an internal Spanish matter. The question of Gibraltar is different because it is a matter between Spain and Great Britain. Northern Ireland is in a different circumstance with particular special circumstances applying to it. I raised with him the question of the number of people from Britain who live in Spain and because of Spain's investment in the UK, the Prime Minister has made it perfectly clear he wants the closest possible relationship with the United Kingdom, which is what we have said, given the traditional links we have had here. I am not sure where Deputy Burton is coming from in respect of saying it is the hardest of hard Brexits because Mr. Rajoy has already said he wants the closest relationship with the UK for very particular reasons.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Micheál Martin is right about Northern Ireland having a very specific legal architecture that is not analogous to the Spanish situation at all. I do not agree it is disputed territory. There is a solemn settlement voted by the people of this island and the United Kingdom that the future status of Northern Ireland is a matter to be determined by the people in Northern Ireland. That is the settled agreement. It is not disputed. Until such time as the majority in Northern Ireland want to alter it, it is settled.

Did the Taoiseach put to Prime Minister Rajoy the prospect of Northern Ireland maintaining itself within the Single Market or within the customs union? Did he give the Taoiseach any views on the Spanish reaction to that possibility? Did the Taoiseach discuss the status of Gibraltar? I met senior members of the Government of Gibraltar at the British Labour Party conference who also have great anxieties about themselves. They overwhelmingly voted, by 96% or 97%, to stay within the European Union. Was their status discussed between the Taoiseach and the Spanish Prime Minister?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I discussed the question of Gibraltar with the Spanish Prime Minister. As I pointed out, it is in a different situation. That is a bilateral matter for discussion between Spain and the United Kingdom post Brexit. It is entirely different from the Good Friday Agreement which, I agree with the Deputy, is not about disputed territory but has been a solemn, internationally legally binding agreement voted on by the people, North and South, and contains in it the opportunity for change at some time in the future if the people, North and South, wish to do that. The situation of the island of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland end of that within the island of Ireland, is unique. Prime Minister Rajoy understands that and is very supportive of the continued support from the European Union because of the peace process and what that means. I explained to him the peace walls and the fragility of many of the issues that arise in Northern Ireland and he, as one Prime Minister, understands that, is very supportive of it and will continue to be so in the future.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That concludes questions to the Taoiseach.