Taoiseach Simon Harris visits Derry addresses reporters on the historic walls on Monday 16-09-2024.
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00:00How are you? I'm doing very well, lovely to meet you, how are you, lovely to see you.
00:27Thank you so much. Delighted to be here in Derry today for my first visit to Derry, Seashock,
00:36have a busy day of civic and political engagements. I really want to thank the Mayor of Derry
00:41for the warm welcome here to Gales Hall, an important opportunity to talk about a number
00:45of the areas of which we're seeing cross-border cooperation. The North West region on this
00:50island has so much potential and with projects like the A5 and our determination to commit
00:56€600 million to that, and also then with the Ulster University expansion here in the
01:01city, there are so many opportunities. When I was Minister for Further and Higher Education
01:05I was very determined to work with Ulster University to expand the footprint of Derry
01:10in this city from an educational point of view, but also to expand the opportunities
01:15for the North West to collaborate when it comes to education. We now have the Atlantic
01:19Technological University on one side of the border, we have Ulster University and Derry
01:22on the other, and the potential for them to do more together for the betterment of
01:26people, peace and prosperity is there for all to see. I'm really honoured to have been
01:30invited to deliver the John Hume and Tip O'Neill Memorial Lecture. I look forward to having
01:36an opportunity during that lecture to reflect on the progress we've made, but also on the
01:41journey we need to travel in terms of reconciliation. And I should also say this, I'm delighted
01:45to be here in Derry, delighted to be in Northern Ireland at a time when we can truthfully say
01:51we have seen a real improvement of relations north-south and east-west. I know reset has
01:56been the word of the month, but for good reason. We had a great north-south ministerial council
02:01in Dublin only last Friday. The British Prime Minister, I had the honour of hosting him
02:05less than two weeks ago in Dublin, and we have a lot of work to do together now to fully
02:09harness the potential of the Good Friday Agreement.
02:11We'll get as many questions as possible. Freya, go ahead.
02:15Just in terms of Casement Park, obviously a huge disappointment, you expressed your
02:20own disappointment around this. Is the Irish Government willing to contribute more, and
02:24are you going to lobby the British Government to put in more themselves?
02:29Look, I know Casement and the decision around Casement by the British Government did come
02:34as a real sense of disappointment to so many people. This had been going on for such a
02:38long time, there was a real level of expectation. These two islands are going to host the Euros
02:43in 2028, what an incredible opportunity, and wanting Northern Ireland to be a part of that,
02:47wanting Casement to be a part of that, it was a legitimate expectation for so many people
02:51for so long. In fairness to the new British Prime Minister, in many ways he inherited
02:55this situation. He and I discussed it in July in Chequers, we discussed it in recent weeks
03:00in Farmlea, and I know he did give it serious consideration. Not to speak for the British
03:05Government, but my understanding is there were concerns around timeline in terms of
03:09being able to have a project ready at this stage for the Euros. However, let me say this,
03:14we have to from this moment on look forward in relation to this project. I thought the
03:18comments from the President of the GAA yesterday were excellent, I thought they were constructive,
03:22I thought they were pragmatic, I thought they were helpful, because we need a Casement,
03:26we need a GAA stadium in Belfast, we need somewhere that can host Ulster Finals, we
03:30need somewhere that can host serious and important matches in terms of scale, and that's what
03:35needs to happen. So that's why I've been quick out of the traps to very firmly state that
03:40the Irish Government commitment of 50 million Euros stands in relation to this project.
03:44The Irish Government is open to continuing to have conversations about anything more
03:48we can do to help, but we're not quite there yet. What we now need to see is what the British
03:52Government and the Northern Ireland Executive want to do next. I spoke to the President
03:56of the GAA yesterday, I'm hoping to meet the GAA in the coming days, I'll stay in contact
04:02with the First and Deputy First Minister, and with Prime Minister Starmer, but let's
04:05now try and get a bit of forward momentum going on this for once and for all, that's
04:09what has to happen now.
04:10Just to be clear, you're not ruling out committing more?
04:14I'm not ruling it out already, and at the moment my Government has put 50 million Euros
04:18on the table, let's see what the British Government now intends to do. And I should say this,
04:22I really welcome the fact that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn,
04:26will meet with the GAA this week, and is engaging with stakeholders. This now has to be, what
04:30we now have is an opportunity for all stakeholders to intensively engage and work out how best
04:36to proceed. But what I've heard from everybody across the weekend is casement's going to
04:40happen, casement has to happen. The question is timelines, and the question is on what
04:44scale, and we stand ready to assist in any practical way that we can.
04:48Taoiseach, the Tunnel Service just said that recently they agreed February would be the
04:52ideal time to hold the general election, and the total election on the 15th of November
04:56is a lot of hot air. Should we take it now that February will be the date, and are you
05:02really concerned that your coalition partners, Fianna Fáil and other Greens, could take
05:06that date out of your hands, could they take unilateral action in terms of pushing the
05:10timing of the election?
05:12So there we are, I don't know what time it is today, but it's the third time I think
05:14I've been asked a question about the general election, so let me give the answer again.
05:18The constitutional prerogative to seek a dissolution of the Dáil is mine, Taoiseach. I've been
05:24very clear though since becoming Taoiseach that I want this government to go full term,
05:28and I've also been very clear that the three parties in government are working well together.
05:32I don't intend to provide running commentary on what about this week, what about that month,
05:38that's not how we do politics. Politics outside of the media and political bubble is about
05:42making a difference in people's lives, it's about delivering for people. The government
05:46wants to go full term, the priority now is delivering the budget, the budget will be
05:50in less than, just over two weeks time, two weeks time on Tuesday, that's our absolute
05:54focus, delivering a cost of living package that will make a real difference to people
05:58between now and the end of the year, providing clear financial stability and a road map into
06:022025 through the budget, setting new housing targets, absolutely important to set new housing
06:08targets, signing off on the national planning framework and passing key pieces of legislation
06:12like our planning reform bill. Huge amount of work to do. In due course there will be
06:16a general election, I relish that prospect, I look forward to campaigning at that time
06:20and asking the people of Ireland to give me a chance, to give me a mandate and to allow
06:26me to continue as their Taoiseach, but the priority now is for the three parties in government
06:30to get on with the people's work, to deliver a budget and to let this government go full
06:34term. But the leader of one of those parties, Micheál
06:36Martin, just said he believes February is the ideal time.
06:38I have a great relationship with the leaders of both parties and funnily enough I talk
06:42to them about matters sensitive to government directly as opposed to respectfully with
06:46yourself as an intermediary. Taoiseach, you've said that you're not ruling
06:50in or ruling out further funding for Casement Park. What's your message to London of course
06:54where a lot of this will land with ministers over there and indeed with the Treasury? Do
06:58you think it's time for London to step up to ensure this happens?
07:02Well look, it's not for me to tell the British government what to do in relation to this
07:05matter and I'm also very respectful that in the first instance Casement is very much a
07:09matter for the Northern Ireland Executive working with the British government. Of course
07:13we have a vested interest, we have offered to provide 50 million euro and of course we
07:18are in contact with the GAA in relation to this matter. I do think it would be very helpful
07:23at as early a point as possible for all stakeholders, the British government, the Northern Ireland
07:28Executive and the Irish government to be able to show a way forward. I think that would
07:33be really helpful. I'm respectful of the process that Prime Minister Starmer needs to go through
07:37and I don't intend to cut across that. I welcome the fact that the Secretary of State
07:41will engage with the GAA, I believe he's due to meet them this week. I think that is a
07:45sensible way to proceed. Casement's going to happen. I've heard the First Minister say
07:49it, I've heard the Deputy First Minister say it, I've heard ministers in Northern Ireland
07:52say it. I know the British government wants to make progress on this too and my position
07:56as head of the Irish government is clear. What we do now need though I think in the
08:00brief time ahead is absolute clarity on how you turn that ambition for Casement to happen
08:05into a step-by-step reality. Can I just make one other point just in terms of the Euros
08:11whilst it has been bitterly disappointing for people in the North and for the GAA with
08:18the decision in relation to Casement or the understanding that I've outlined that I attach
08:22to that. We do still need to look at how we can make sure Northern Ireland benefits in
08:27some manner from the hosting of the Euros. These two islands are going to host an incredible
08:32sporting spectacle and that's going to bring significant economic, tourist and sporting
08:36benefit to the island. We need to make sure all parts of this island benefit and I'm not
08:40the expert on these issues but we remain ready to assist in any way, shape or form we can
08:46to make sure that Northern Ireland also benefits economically from hosting the Euros.
08:51Amanda has put the bells.
08:53One more question about Casement but also about Derry because we're in Derry at the
08:57moment. Do you believe that the reason that Casement isn't going to be built in time for
09:02the Euros and sectarianism lies at the heart of why that isn't happening? And just with
09:06regards to the North West, obviously there's lots of best practice in the North West because
09:11of its geographic spread, Donegal and Derry work very well together but could you identify
09:16some areas where you think that the North West needs further investment and further
09:20assistance?
09:21So firstly I don't believe sectarianism has anything to do with this. In fact we have
09:25a British Prime Minister who, let's be honest, for the first time in a long time is using
09:30language around co-guarantor of the peace process. He campaigned in a manifesto that
09:34talked about being a co-guarantor. He invited me to Chequers as his first guest within weeks
09:39of being in office. He has come back and visited me in Dublin since then. We have had substantive
09:44detailed meetings and engagement and we both take so seriously our roles as co-guarantors
09:48of the peace process. I think, far be it for me to involve myself in British politics,
09:53but I think clearly the British government is obviously dealing with a number of issues
09:56it has inherited, including its economy, including its immediate fiscal reality and including
10:01timelines in terms of when the Euros will take place. They're all matters for the British
10:05government to work their way through. What I know though and feel very confident as the
10:09theatre of Ireland now is, that I have a willing interlocutor in Downing Street in terms of
10:14making progress on peace and prosperity across this island and across these islands. And
10:19I can genuinely say that the reset is real, the reset is warm, the reset isn't a slogan
10:24because we've outlined the body of work that will now take place between now and next March's
10:29joint summit between the two governments. And I actually believe we could be at the
10:33dawn of the best relationship we've seen between an Irish and a British government in very
10:37very many years and that excites me, it energises me and I won't allow any one individual decision
10:43to disrupt that reality. In relation to Derry and Donegal and indeed the region, I just
10:50think the North West region has so much potential. There are people in Donegal coming and getting
10:56life-saving cancer treatment over the border in Northern Ireland today. There are medical
11:02students moving in both directions between Donegal and Derry and indeed doctors, nurses
11:07and others in terms of our health service. I think the two big issues though, and I'm
11:11sure there are more, but the two that come to mind is connectivity in terms of infrastructure
11:17and I mean things like road, potentially things like air, but generally improving the connectivity
11:22between the region, across the region and between this region and the rest of the island.
11:27And secondly the issue of a critical mass of student numbers. When I was the Minister
11:33for Further and Higher Education in Ireland I was very struck by the fact that there were
11:37many cities on the island of Ireland that had a smaller population than Derry, but a
11:42larger student population than Derry. That just doesn't make sense. And I think back
11:46as I remember John Hume today to his civil rights marches in the 1960s, talking about
11:51access to education as a civil rights issue. It was then, it is now. And I'm so ecstatic
11:56that we're seeing very significant progress on both sides of the border in terms of providing
12:01opportunities for the next generation in terms of access to third level education. So they're
12:04two priority areas.
12:05Guys, I'm nearly out of time. Peter over here.
12:07In terms of casement, there is a huge funding shortfall here. Costs have inevitably risen.
12:11As a result, will the Irish Government stump up extra money to reflect those rising costs?
12:15Well firstly, I think in fairness to the Irish Government, we've been very clear in terms
12:18of putting money on the table, €50 million, and reaffirming that despite or regardless
12:23of the decision of recent days, that that €50 million still stands. I think that is
12:27a testament to our commitment. We didn't use this wrinkle as an opportunity to say,
12:31hang on a second, we'll have to reconsider our investment. In fact, we did the exact
12:35opposite. In terms of costs more generally, I think there's a fair few unknowns now that
12:39need to become known. Firstly, what will the ultimate cost of casement be in this new reality?
12:45And what is the funding level that each of the various parties and stakeholders are able
12:49to contribute? Only when we have clarity over that will we consider any further issues in
12:53relation to our investment.
12:54Thanks very much everybody. Thank you.