Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. I absolutely agree that the doubling of our global footprint and work with the expansion of Ireland's diplomatic network is very welcome. We are now at a place where we can make a change as leaders for good throughout the world. Joining the Francophonie and Commonwealth of Nations and many other organisations will be of benefit. I am also delighted we are fully committed to developing and enhancing our relationship with the UK over the coming years and to developing the closest possible relationship between the UK and the EU. The visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011 and the subsequent state visit by President Higgins to the UK in 2014 was a groundbreaking change in culture in our two islands. We need a lot more of that. Numerous channels will be open to us in that regard but we cannot do too much through the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, which is meeting in Sligo in a month's time, and the various cross-border institutions, North-South and east-west. We must ensure that our parliaments and parliamentarians across these two islands work even more closely together in the absence of the UK from the EU.

We had €1 billion of trade every week with the UK. For centuries, our countries have had a relationship,, albeit not with the levels of trust it should have had. We took our relationship for granted and despite 200,000 jobs on both sides of these islands and centuries of trade, it is ironic that the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce was only set up in 2011 after the Queen's visit to Ireland. We need more of such initiatives to break down those barriers of mistrust and allow us to work together North-South and east-west.