Wales and Ireland commit to new agreement
Wales and Ireland will commit to a new agreement today in a bid to deepen co-operation between the two nations over the next five years.
Tánaiste Simon Harris TD and First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan will meet in Swansea on Wednesday (July 2) at the Ireland-Wales Forum, with the launch of the new Ireland-Wales Shared Statement 2030.
The Welsh Government says the new statement will build on the success of the 2021-2025 Ireland-Wales Shared Statement.
The two governments will commit to develop closer ties in a range of different areas, including cooperation related to renewable energy, research and innovation while strengthening the historic cultural and linguistic bonds that connect the two nations.
The 2030 Statement establishes a framework for bilateral co-operation until the end of the decade, following on from the previous agreement signed in Cardiff in March 2021.
Collaboration
The six areas for collaboration include, political and official engagement, climate, energy, environment and sustainability, economy and trade, education, research and innovation, culture, language and heritage as well as communities, diaspora and sport.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said: “Our relationship with Wales remains very important to Ireland.
“The Shared Statement underlines the breadth of connection between us – across trade, research, energy, culture and language. This is all underpinned and cemented by our vibrant and rich people-to-people connections.
“The new Shared Statement to 2030 allows us build on the excellent cooperation of recent years. It will provide renewed focus and momentum, carrying forward this unique and vibrant partnership into the next decade.”
‘Priorities’
First Minister Eluned Morgan added: “The Statement marks a significant step forward in our relationship with Ireland. By working together on shared priorities we can achieve far more than we could alone.
“This partnership demonstrates the strength of our historic bonds and our commitment to tackling common challenges together.
“From renewable energy to research, from language to culture, we are united by common values and aspirations.”
At today’s Forum, researchers at Swansea University and colleagues in Cork and Limerick will provide examples of co-operation on energy challenges alongside energy company MaresConnect, which is building an interconnector between the two countries.
The two leaders will also visit Dublin-based life science company ICON plc, which has an established base in Wales, and meet with the Wales Aerospace Forum, which is forging closer links with Ireland.
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Transport links need improving.
There are already 63 sailings a week from Holyhead to Dublin plus ferry crossings to the Rosslare Europort from Fishguard and Pembroke Dock.
Also an air service from Cardiff to Dublin.
Perhaps you mean more air services to Cork and Shannon as well as the Third Menai Crossing.
I mean a Holyhead to Dublin rail tunnel.
Interesting to see where the funding for that would come from.
It would be jointly funded by the Irish government, the EU, central government, Network North, and the WG because all would benefit.
Maybe Westminster can fund it, let’s call it an England/Wales joint infrastructure project, just like HS2
We should be embracing our links with Ireland to a far greater extent rather than seeing golden apples (and “thousands of jobs”) in flaky schemes emanating from inside the M25 or England’s western cities.
We live in a work from anywhere culture.
They are spending big on rail infrastructure https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/proposed-36bn-all-island-rail-plan-would-vastly-improve-connections-and-speed-up-journeys/a2127486737.html and Welsh suppliers near Ports need to be actively seeking roles. Wales benefits from lower wages than England plus is much closer!
Sort out the health services of mid Wales and stop the scheming with the air ambulance it is not the squadron leader’s toy or preserve…
Stop donating and crowd fund a criminal investigation…this is theft therefore a crime, we pay you cheat no other explanation whatever the ‘judge’ says…
As for the FM get here out of Welsh politics once and for all…
She has been a curse sent from Westminster,
Any chance to get away…
Wales could learn a thing or two from the Republic of Ireland. You can tell when a country has limited control when you realise the ferry ports in Fishguard , Pembroke Dock & Holyhead all have carriers that are Swedish & Irish-owed with Stena Line and Irish Ferries. None are Welsh? We seem to be conduit Cymru.
Perhaps they will finally support students to attend each other’s universities. My daughter wanted to go to Trinity College, Dublin and the Irish government would have paid her tuition fees but Student Finance Wales wouldn’t give her a maintenance grant or loan.
That happened in reverse when I was in Aber 24 years ago there were three of us from Coleg Harlech me, a guy from Manc and Gary from Wicklow who had played for the local Harlech rugby club, the two of us gave Gary top student award but when he needed money to continue no chance from Wales, he couldn’t continue and he had to return to Wicklow…we three were gutted at such prejudice against a fellow Celt whose given name was Gareth, meanness of the first order…
You know what just might help us cooperate on energy with Ireland, Baroness Morgan? Devolving the crown estate!