Written answers

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Ministerial Meetings

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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47. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his recent meeting with the former US Secretary of State, Mr. Rex Tillerson. [14025/18]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I met with US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in Washington, D.C., on Friday 23 February, 2018. I would like, at the outset, to take this opportunity to wish Secretary Tillerson, who has now left his position, all the best for the future. I look forward to working with his successor in due course, once the nomination process has been completed.

The meeting with Secretary Tillerson was conducted in a warm and constructive atmosphere, as befits the relationship between our two countries.

While we discussed a wide range of bilateral and global issues, the Deputy will appreciate from her own time as Tánaiste that much of the detail of such discussions must, by its nature, remain confidential.

I am happy however, to confirm to the Deputy that amongst the topics which we discussed were the plight of undocumented Irish citizens living in the United States, the appointment of a new US ambassador to Ireland, the situation in the Middle-East, Brexit and the situation in Northern Ireland, including the possible appointment of a US Special Envoy.

On the undocumented, I reiterated once more the priority which the Irish Government attaches to achieving a solution for our citizens and to finding greater legal pathways for migration from Ireland to the United States. As the Deputy will be aware, the issue was also subsequently discussed by the Taoiseach and President Trump when they met in the Oval Office on March 15 last. Our efforts to find a solution, working with the Administration and with our friends on Capitol Hill, and with the Government’s Special Envoy to the US Congress on the Undocumented, Deputy John Deasy, will continue.

On the broader Ireland-US relationship, I indicated to the Secretary of State how well-received the appointment of a new US Ambassador to Ireland in the near future would be and how it is seen as a very important position in Ireland.

I updated Secretary Tillerson on the current situation in Northern Ireland. In particular, I indicated that we would welcome the appointment of a Special Envoy for Northern Ireland by the US Administration, as part of its continuing support for the Peace Process.

I also briefed the Secretary of State on the EU-UK Brexit negotiations, emphasising Ireland’s continued commitment to the EU and our opposition to a hard border on the island of Ireland.

We discussed the Middle East Peace Process, an issue to which I have attached a high priority as Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, as I have reported to the House previously. It was a good opportunity to outline to the Secretary of State Ireland’s position on the key issues.

We also discussed US tax reform and whether it would have any implications for the bilateral economic relationship.

All in all, it was a very constructive meeting, indicative of the strength of the political and economic relationships between Ireland and the United States.

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