Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which he has discussed many times before and is something in which he believes passionately. He is also passionate about preparing for all of the eventualities of Brexit and ensuring that we continue to work with the UK and have the closest possible relationship with it.

We have strong international relations across the globe - bilaterally with individual countries through our diplomatic networks and multilaterally through our membership of various international organisations, for example, the UN, where we have relationships with a broad spectrum of countries, many of which are members of the Commonwealth. Last year, the Taoiseach announced a doubling of our global footprint. Work has begun on the initial phase of this expansion of Ireland's diplomatic network with new embassies in Santiago in Chile, Bogotá in Colombia, Amman in Jordan and Wellington in New Zealand, and new Consulates General in Vancouver, Canada, and Mumbai, India, opening this year. Further expansion will be considered by the Government and take into account Ireland's political, trading, cultural and other strategic interests and priorities.

The UK's decision to leave the EU is regrettable and has serious implications for Ireland. Indeed, Brexit is not good for anyone. However, we must maintain a strong and constructive bilateral relationship with the UK. We are fully committed to developing and enhancing that relationship over the coming years no matter what the outcome. In the context of the UK's exit from the European Union, we will work to secure the closest possible positive relationship between the UK and the EU.

While the UK and Ireland share a turbulent past, our relationship in recent times has been close. For example, a number of successful high-level visits have had a positive impact on our relationship, most notably the state visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011 and the reciprocal state visit by President Higgins to the UK in 2014. More recently, the President travelled to Dumfries House in Scotland at the invitation of the Prince of Wales.Most recently, President Higgins travelled to Dumfries House in Scotland at the invitation of the Prince of Wales, following the visit of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to Ireland last year, their third visit in as many years. Relations are good and strong and of course we want to keep them that way.

Numerous channels will continue to exist for Irish-British engagement and both Governments continue to make extensive and effective use of these. The Good Friday Agreement provides for important institutional co-operation on an east-west basis including through the British-Irish Council, BIC. In addition, the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly brings together elected representatives from the Oireachtas, Westminster, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the Scottish and Welsh devolved assemblies. These structures have, for the most part, shown their value and will continue to evolve in response to the changing circumstances. In addition, we will also explore other avenues to maintain the “habit of co-operation” that currently exists where Ministers regularly meet their counterparts and work together in Brussels. This deeper working relationship should allow for co-operation across a broad range of issues of shared interest many of which the Senator has raised with us today.