Ladies and gentlemen

We meet here today at a critical moment in British Irish relations.  Much has happened since last year’s conference at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.  First Scotland went there and left disappointed. Then it was the turn of Wales.  Now all eyes turn to Twickenham.

Of course, such rivalry is played out against a background of British Irish relations that have never been better. This conference, the impressive array of speakers, and the interest it has attracted are all testament to that.  And its theme – Growing Stronger Together – is timely and well chosen.  Because by working together to address our shared challenges as we emerge from the financial crisis we can grow stronger together.

The British Irish Chamber was established three years ago against the background of the enormously successful State Visit by Queen Elizabeth to Dublin. That was an occasion many of us had looked forward to but were never sure we would see.  I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet the Queen during her visit and I have a photograph in my office to record the occasion.

A return State Visit will take place in April when President Higgins travels to Britain to take part in a programme that will incorporate a number of significant formal events. These visits speak of strong bilateral relations across many fields, not just in Government, but in the worlds of business, cultural life and, of course, sport.

Over the past few years in particular there have been significant developments in cooperation at Government level.   There is a mutual respect and trust which extends beyond Government into the wider community.

Engagement between the Irish and British Governments is increasingly about our bilateral opportunities and our shared interests in Europe and internationally, not least in the world of business.

As I am sure you are all aware, the UK is Ireland’s most important trading partner and will continue to be the single most important market for Irish exports. An extraordinary €1 billion worth of traded goods now crosses the Irish Sea each week.

Next month the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister will meet for their now annual summit to review and oversee progress in deepening our economic cooperation and engaging closely and strategically on a range of issues of shared importance, such as energy, research & development, the agri-food sector, professional & financial services and the creative sectors.

These are all areas where we can grow stronger together.

As we meet here today, the first ever trade mission led by ministers from Dublin, Stormont and Westminster is under way in Singapore. Representatives of forty companies from Ireland, North and South, are part of the delegation at the Singapore Air Show, the largest such event in Asia. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Richard Bruton, his Northern Ireland counterpart Arlene Foster and UK Transport Minister Stephen Hammond are with representatives of Irish and British companies at the Air Show.

The Global Irish Economic Forum last October focused on opportunities for job creation – especially for the young – and on economic growth, and provided an opportunity to plan and to strategise on an all-island basis.  Some of the Forum participants from overseas took the opportunity to visit Belfast, and there was also a very significant representation of Northern Ireland companies and business groups at the main event in Dublin.

In the current economic circumstance it is important to concentrate our efforts on areas where co-operation makes sense and brings real, tangible and mutual benefits to people across the island so that we can all grow stronger together.

There is a new and unprecedented opportunity currently to accelerate North South cooperation in a practical direction in support of economic growth.

Last year, for example, there were no less than 25 meetings of the North South Ministerial Council, meetings which included discussions on areas of co-operation such as health, education, agriculture, the Irish language, business and trade development, tourism, the environment and transport.

I am pleased to be able to take part in the work of the North South Ministerial Council, particularly the sectoral meetings which oversee the work of the Special EU Programmes Body in accessing EU funding.

There is a shared interest in the NSMC in moving North South cooperation in a practical direction in support of recovery.  Ministers have been mandated to review priorities in their respective areas, especially where they could cultivate more economic recovery, more job creation, better use of public funds and the most effective delivery of services. We are making real progress on these issues.

I think we can all agree that it is time for a new approach to co-operation that will emphasise job creation and boost exports and economic activity.  As Minister with responsibility for the European Structural & Investment Funds, I have in mind the potential we can unlock from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund.  There are also opportunities to increase our joint drawdown of innovation funding under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme for research & technological development. Opportunities also exist for greater cooperation in higher education, in youth employment, in transport, in health and in sport.

These are all areas where we can grow stronger together.

I am particularly pleased to be here today at the Titanic.  During this decade of commemoration, this iconic building recalls an important part of the history of Belfast.  But its dramatic design also points to the future and the regeneration of the city that is underway.

The Titanic has won many awards and rightly attracted accolades.  But – if our hosts here today will permit me – there is one award that escaped it.  That was the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors award for Best Overall Project in Northern Ireland in 2013. Against heavyweight competition not just from the Titanic but also the spectacular PEACE Bridge in Derry, that award went to a building not very far from where we are now – the Skainos Centre on the Newtownards Road. With its dramatic vertical garden, the centre provides a place where people can meet at the heart of the community.

The Skainos Centre is just one of many projects that have been funded by the PEACE Programme.  For the last three years I have been privileged to work with my Northern colleagues, first Sammy Wilson and latterly Simon Hamilton, on the PEACE Programme and its sister INTERREG Programme.

Last year, along with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, I travelled to Brussels to take part in a conference on the PEACE Programme that was hosted by Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn. Together we had an opportunity to reflect on the success of the first three PEACE Programmes and to hear first-hand from some of the Programme beneficiaries.

I am glad that in last year’s EU Budget negotiations we were able to secure funding for a new PEACE Programme.

The aim of the PEACE programme, is to reinforce progress towards a peaceful and stable society by reconciling communities and contributing to a shared society.

Work on planning the new Programme and its sister INTERREG Programme is well underway.

The PEACE programme has made an enormous contribution to developing the peace process in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. Thousands of projects have been supported from 1995 to the present, with approximately €2 billion invested in these areas.

A wide-range of projects have been supported, from large-scale capital-build and infrastructure projects to small scale, locally focused, grass roots projects.

The participative, bottom-up approach adopted by the PEACE Programme has proved to be particularly effective in allocating funding at a grass-roots level where it is most needed.

It is now more than 40 years since both Ireland and the UK joined what those of us old enough to remember knew as the EEC.

Membership of the European Union has been positive for Ireland and, I believe, for the UK.  In Ireland’s case it has played an immense role in our social, economic and political development over four decades.  Northern Ireland has benefitted too, from the Common Agriculture Policy and from Structural Funds.

Much has changed in the European Union since Ireland joined in 1973.  Not only has it grown in size, but the nature of the Union has broadened and deepened. This has all served to enrich the Union.

Of course it is not without its shortcomings, but these are shortcomings that can be addressed by its members in partnership.

The Irish Government strongly believes that membership of the European Union is vital to this ongoing recovery and to our future.  We remain deeply committed to the values the Union stands for and the community approach in taking it forward.

I know too that the future of UK membership of the EU has been the subject of recent debate.

I believe that a Union without the UK would be the poorer for that. I believe the UK would be the poorer and I believe Northern Ireland would be the poorer.

One of the things that struck me during our EU Presidency is how, in the nine years since our previous Presidency, at the very time when some are contemplating leaving the Union, English has become the de facto working language of the Union.

The UK has a place at the centre of the Union. The Union has benefitted from UK membership and I believe the UK will continue to benefit from EU membership.

The theme of this conference is growing stronger together and it is through our shared membership of the Union that we will grow stronger.

Both the European Union and the UK too have been key partners in Ireland’s programme of recovery.  The UK was generous to Ireland when we needed assistance.  We have faced a difficult challenge in repairing the economy and the public finances.  But we are committed to meeting that challenge, and I am confident that now we have returned to normal market funding we can return to sustained growth in living standards and employment.

The recent upgrading of our credit rating by Moody’s – the last of the main agencies to return us to investment grade – and the accompanying positive outlook illustrates the growing international appreciation of the efforts we have made in putting the public finances on a sustainable path, as well as the confidence in the potential of the Irish economy to return to growth. It also reinforces the view that the Government was correct in its decision to exit the bailout without the need to seek a precautionary line of credit from our partners.

However, this is not the time to relax or to shirk from the ambitious targets we have set ourselves; of continuing the reform of the public finances and the way the Government carries out its business, and of ensuring that the business environment is conducive to the growth of existing enterprises and the creation of new ones.

Public Service Reform is a key part of the Government’s strategic response to the country’s fiscal challenges.  This is an issue on which I have already had useful discussions with Simon Hamilton.

At a time of increasing pressure on our services we have managed to streamline the Public Service and reduce numbers, while continuing to meet higher demands for services.

The Government remains committed to building on the success we have achieved to date. In this context, a new Public Service Reform Plan 2014 – 2016 was published last month which sets out an ambitious new phase in the reform programme.

As reforms deliver efficiencies and greater productivity, some of the savings made will be re-invested in services.  This “Reform Dividend” will serve to underpin and help sustain the reform agenda beyond the current fiscal crisis.

The Plan puts a strong focus on achieving better outcomes for citizens and business customers, while maintaining a tight control on expenditure. The Public Service must continue to assess what it does and where it adds real value, with the focus always being on meeting the needs of service users.

The efficiency of public services impacts on taxation levels and the State’s funding requirements.  It also contributes to Ireland’s competitiveness and the attractiveness of its business environment for investment and employment creation.

So, while much of the commentary over the last number of years has been on the expenditure and taxation measures implemented to regain control of the public finances, the Government has always been clear that we can only escape the recession through a return to economic growth and a reduction in the level of unemployment, and that this can only be achieved by a return to expansion in the private sector.

For this reason, measures to assist businesses have always been an important part of our recovery strategy.  The Government is continuing the work of removing burdens on businesses to allow them the room to innovate, to be agile and to concentrate on growth and job creation.

Progress to date has been good.  Indeed, our goal of becoming the best small country in the world in which to do business is in danger of being superseded.  In December Forbes named Ireland the best country of any size for doing business. We have recently updated our forecasts for job creation and the Government is now projecting 2 million people in employment in 2016.

But this improved sentiment is based on us sticking to our commitments and on continuing to implement the radical reform process over the next few years.

Ladies and gentlemen, when Ireland and England meet in Twickenham next week pride will be at stake and passions will run high.  But whatever happens, the occasion, like the matches against Scotland and Wales, will highlight the close and warm relationship between these islands.

Irish rugby fans will never forget the generosity shown by Scotland, Wales and England when they all agreed to reschedule Ireland’s Triple Crown matches during the Foot and Mouth Crisis of 2001.  Nor can they forget the spine tingling moment when the anthems rang out around Croke Park in 2007.

Nor will they forget that England obligingly lost on both occasions.  Hopefully they will oblige again next week.

Thank you

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