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Celtic Connections and Celtic Confidence: Presiding Officer addresses Royal Irish Academy, Dublin

080/2006 | 17 October 2006 

George Reid speaking at the Royal Irish Academy

Speaking today at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer George Reid said that devolution within the UK and EU provided the mechanism for more direct and mutually beneficial "Celtic Connections" between Ireland and Scotland.

In a lecture entitled "Celtic Connections Scottish-Irish Links and 21st Century Democracy", the Presiding Officer said: "The Irish, with their booming economy, show great confidence in their country's future. The establishment of the Scottish Parliament affords us the opportunity to display some of that Celtic confidence too."

The St Andrews Agreement, Mr Reid said, opened the way to the return of the Northern Ireland Assembly. That, in turn, would "complete the Celtic circle", with new East-West links benefiting Northern Ireland, Donegal and Scotland .

Irish commentators had stated that a Scottish strand was important to Northern Ireland.

Mr Reid said: "Irish emigration has enriched Scotland.  As a society, we are well placed to understand both sides of the Northern Ireland conflict.

"Our government in Edinburgh has taken significant action to combat sectarianism, and there is scope for sharing the benefit of that experience."

There were also, he continued, substantial economic benefits to all three communities from EU tripartide funding which would be available in 2007, for example: "Small and medium sized enterprises clustering together in the IT and renewables sectors... communities running their own homes for old people so that they do not end their lives 50 miles from home... golf, walking and heritage tourism adding value all round."

These funds, he said, could benefit Dumfries and Galloway, South Ayrshire, and Argyll and the Isles - and possibly the Western Isles and the rest of Ayrshire.

"Devolution, within the EU and UK, now affords us the opportunity of working together for sustainable cross-border communities, in great locations where we get the balance of life and work right."

Background

The address was delivered by the Presiding Officer to an audience of invited guests at 11am today (Tuesday 17 October) at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin.

The lecture was co-hosted by the Centre for Irish-Scottish Studies, Trinity College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy and entitled: 'Celtic Connections' Scottish-Irish links and Twenty-First Century Democracy.

The Presiding Officer is accompanied by six MSPs during his six day visit (13-19 October), travelling as guests of the Ceann Comhairle - Dr Rory O'Hanlon TD.

During the visit they will be meeting Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, President of Ireland Mary McAleese and attending sittings of the Oireachtas, as well as visiting regeneration projects in County Donegal, Trinity College and Bru na Boinne in County Meath.

Full programme details

See also:

News release: Parliamentary committee urges closer co-operation with Ireland

Presiding Officer I MSPs

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