Need for close Anglo-Irish ties has never been greater, Martin tells Starmer

The case for forging a close partnership between Ireland and the UK “has never been greater”, Irish premier Micheal Martin has told Sir Keir Starmer.

The two leaders have undertaken a number of engagements in Cork on the first evening of the UK-Ireland summit.

Sir Keir spent the earlier part of the day in Belfast before travelling to Cork for the summit, which follows an inaugural gathering in Liverpool last year.

At last year’s summit, Mr Martin and Sir Keir committed themselves to a programme of co-operation between the two countries, called UK-Ireland 2030.

Delivering an address at a cultural event, the Taoiseach said there was a “renewed spirit of co-operation” between Ireland and the UK.

He said: “As we look to 2030, our task is clear – to deepen co-operation in the areas that matter most to our citizens, such as infrastructure delivery, especially housing; clean energy, climate action, research and innovation, the cost of living; readying our economies and our workers for the industries of the future,  protecting our critical infrastructure, including under our seas.

“In all of this, crucially, we are working together from a sense of shared values, whether that is in international co-operation, in Northern Ireland, or in shaping a fairer, more prosperous future for all across these islands.

“As we gather, we are conscious also that this is a changing, more uncertain, and more unsettled world.

“In that context, the case for an active, engaged and close partnership between our two countries has never been greater.”

The Prime Minister told the event that we are in an age of “dramatic uncertainty”.

He said: “The last just two weeks are a reminder of that uncertainty and I genuinely believe that co-operation in periods like this is more important now than it’s ever been to ensure that we can deliver the security and the growth for our people, and to tackle the thing that I know is in people’s minds, which is the cost of living.”

Earlier, Sir Keir and Mr Martin met business leaders.

During the meeting in the city centre, with representatives of the energy and infrastructure sector, chants from demonstrators outside the building could be heard.

A few dozen protesters were seen in the city centre, some holding Iranian, Palestinian or Irish flags, to coincide with the summit of British and Irish ministers.

The next event saw the two leaders meet young people taking part in the UK-Ireland Youth Summit.

Earlier, the British Prime Minister and Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn landed on the tarmac at Cork Airport on Thursday evening after meeting with Stormont’s political leaders in Belfast earlier on Thursday.

They were greeted by Mr Martin, the British ambassador in Dublin Kara Owen, and the Irish ambassador in London Martin Fraser.

Several engagements are planned on Thursday and Friday as part of the UK-Ireland Summit, which was established to maintain and develop relations post-Brexit.

Five million euros worth of cultural collaborations for 12 projects, one of which involves a play starring Paul Mescal, were announced on Thursday to coincide with the summit.

Speaking in Belfast earlier on Thursday, Sir Keir said he had tried to “reset” relations between Britain and Ireland since becoming Prime Minister.

“Of course, it doesn’t mean that we agree on everything, but it means that we positively engage, constructively engage, to overcome any challenges, but also take advantage of huge opportunities,” he told reporters.

“I was determined to reset that relationship, I genuinely feel it’s in a better place, and most people who talk to me about this say it is in a better place.

“I’m pleased about that, but if you are in a better place, you’ve got to keep working at it.”

Sir Keir said that while there were issues that the governments in London and Dublin did not agree on, there were “not as many issues as many people try to make out”.

He added: “Our job is to manage through those issues and come to a proper resolution, rather than to escalate them.

“That’s the basis on which I’ve worked, that’s why the UK-Ireland relationship is in a better place and I’ll continue in that vein.”

At the inaugural UK-Ireland Summit in Liverpool last year, the leaders launched a programme of co-operation for the period up until 2030 – covering trade, energy, maritime security, emergency planning and cultural connections.

At the Cork summit, Mr Martin and Sir Keir are to focus on greater co-operation across areas such as infrastructure, clean energy, skills and innovation.

The two leaders are to take part in events along the theme of Shared Prosperity, Shared Seas, Shared Ties, including a research-focused visit, a cultural reception and a discussion with young people.

Five million euros worth of funding was announced on Thursday for 12 joint Ireland-UK cultural projects between now and 2030.

One is a co-production between the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and the National Theatre in London, starring award-winning actor Mescal in the play A Whistle In The Dark.

Others involve an “All-In” scheme to make cultural spaces more accessible for people with disabilities; a joint project on the national archives of both jurisdictions; and a joint research project between the National Museum of Ireland, the National Museum of Scotland and National Museums Liverpool.