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• • Ministers highlight continued strength and potential of Irish-Scottish links
• • Minister Flanagan outlines Ireland’s key priorities in terms of preserving our strong Irish-British bilateral relationships and on Northern Ireland

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan T.D., met with the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, at Iveagh House in Dublin early this evening.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister Flanagan renewed the Government’s commitment to further developing trade and investment links between Ireland and Scotland, noting in particular that this was First Minister Sturgeon’s first visit to Dublin since her government established a Scottish Innovation and Investment Hub in Dublin earlier this year.

He continued:

“Since early 2015, when I met with First Minister Sturgeon in Edinburgh, both the Irish and Scottish governments have responded to the potential of growing our bilateral links with the expansion of the Irish Consulate in Edinburgh and the establishment of a Scottish Hub within the British Embassy here in Dublin.

“First Minister Sturgeon’s very comprehensive visit programme in Dublin is testament to the already-strong trading relationship we enjoy. There are clearly opportunities for Irish business in Scotland, and for Scottish business in Ireland. Our respective governments, offices and agencies stand ready to assist in any way”.

The Minister and First Minister also discussed the UK’s decision to exit from the European Union, which was also discussed in detail at the British Irish Council Summit in Cardiff on Friday.

Minister Flanagan said:

“Building on last week’s useful discussions at the British-Irish Council, we discussed the UK’s exit from the EU and the ongoing thinking within Scotland and the UK as a whole. In a good exchange, I outlined Ireland’s key priorities in terms of preserving our strong Irish-British bilateral relationships and in terms of the vital importance of preserving peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland”.

Notes to editors:

• This meeting represented First Minister Sturgeon’s formal engagement with the Irish government during a visit focused on further developing Irish-Scottish links in terms of trade, education, research and other areas. The First Minister met earlier today with President Higgins, who had visited Scotland in June of this year and addressed the Scottish Parliament. Her visit programme concludes tomorrow with an address to Seanad Éireann.
• Both the Irish and Scottish governments, with the support of their trade and investment agencies, are working to further grow bilateral trading links.
• Construction services, electronics and clean technologies are the leading exports for Enterprise Ireland clients to Scotland, while Scotland accounts for more than one in ten of all tourist visitors from the UK, thanks to extensive air and sea links to the island of Ireland.
• Within Scotland, the Irish Business Network Scotland was formally launched in June 2016 with support from the Irish Consulate General.
• The Irish Consulate General in Scotland’s website is www.dfa.ie/Edinburgh