BRITISH-IRISH PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY FIFTY-EIGHTH PLENARY SESSION Monday 13 May 2019 The Assembly met at 9.37 am. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AND TRIBUTE TO STEFFAN LEWIS AM The Co-Chairman (Mr Andrew Rosindell MP): Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If I could call the Assembly to order, we are now in public session. Ladies and gentlemen, first I would like to remind you that everyone present should please turn their mobile phones off, or at least turn them to silent. Secondly, could I ask Members, when they are invited to contribute from the Floor, if they would clearly state their name and which Parliament or Assembly they are representing. And, finally, may I remind Members that the proceedings of this body do not attract parliamentary privilege. I would like to take a moment to note the deep regret the Assembly felt at the recent passing of one of our Members, Steffan Lewis, Assembly Member from Wales. And so may I, on behalf of all Members of the Assembly, extend our condolences to his family and friends at this deeply sad time. And I would like to invite Ann Jones, Assembly Member from Wales and Deputy Presiding Officer from the Welsh Assembly to say a few words in memory of Steffan. Ann Jones AM: Diolch, Co-Chair. Thank you very much, Co-Chair. And, colleagues, if I could just say thank you to all of those who contacted us at the very sad time when we lost Steffan. Steffan passed away in January at the age of 34. He leaves a widow, Shona, and a young son, Celyn, whom he was very proud of. Throughout Steffan’s terminal bowel cancer, Steffan was very brave. Steffan turned into the Assembly when he felt he could and his contributions were always very much heartfelt and very much listened to. Steffan was very brave in saying that it was OK to say you are afraid and you are afraid of what the illness was, and throughout all of that Steffan gave us all hope and courage. He was elected to the Assembly in 2016, which was just the last set of elections, but he made such an impression on us all and he became his party’s spokesperson on Brexit and international affairs, so much so that he co-authored, with the Welsh Government, our White Paper on Brexit. Steffan was, indeed, incredibly gifted, talented and when he spoke, he spoke about a kinder politics that we all aim for and that all of us here should aspire to. Politics was not always his only step in life, although he did admit he had his dream job when he was elected. He was a knowledgeable Welsh historian and an ardent supporter of football, but not Welsh football — Celtic. And Steffan would defend that to the hilt. Although Steffan did not attend many BIPA plenaries, I think my one abiding memory of Steffan was in Malahide where, having put a shift into the plenary, spoke about Brexit, we then retired to the bar. Steffan carried on debating politics in the bar but then he ended up singing, in the early hours of the morning, with a pint of Guinness, obviously, in his hand. And so tonight, when we get back to the hotel and many of us will go to the bar, I think we should all raise our glasses and say, “Iechyd da, Steffan”. “Sláinte” and “Gorffwys mewn Heddwch, rest in peace”. Diolch. [Applause.] The Co-Chairman (Mr Andrew Rosindell MP): I also remind Members of the Assembly of the sad passing of Paul Flynn MP, Member of Parliament in the House of Commons but a long-standing Member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, who passed away recently. So, in memory of both Steffan and Paul Flynn, could I ask us all to just stop for a few moments to reflect? The Co-Chairman (Mr Seán Crowe TD): Could I also include in these remarks that Andrew's mother died a number of months ago there. A number of us would have met her in London, when we went to his constituency area. Maybe, just as part of these proceedings, we could remember Andrew's mother as well, Eileen. [Period of silence.] The Co-Chairman (Mr Andrew Rosindell MP): Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, Members, I would like to now formally welcome you all here today to Newtownmountkennedy. This setting here, in Druids Glen, in the magnificent county of Wicklow, is also known as the “garden of Ireland”. Wicklow, as we can all see, is a beautiful county, full of majestic mountains, breathtaking coastline and monastic treasures. We are delighted to be hosting the 58th plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly here in the scenic surroundings of the Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort. And I am sure that Members will find the time — I hope you will find the time — to take advantage of the facilities and the incredible environment that we are lucky to be in, here, during this particular plenary. And I thank our Irish hosts for arranging such a wonderful location. You have all been circulated with an up-to-date list of BIPA membership in your briefing packs, and I have to inform the Assembly that, in accordance with rule 2(a), the following associate Members have accepted the invitation of the Steering Committee to assume the powers and responsibility of Members for the whole session. They are Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Senator Gerry Horkan, Viscount Bridgeman, Vicky Ford MP, John Grogan MP, The Rt Hon. Lord Kilclooney and Neil Hamilton AM. And we have also received apologies from the following Members of the Assembly: Mattie McGrath TD, Pat the Cope Gallagher TD, Kathleen Funchion TD, Tony McLoughlin TD, Senator Diarmuid Wilson, Joe Carey TD, Andrew Bridgen MP, Vernon Coaker MP, Rosie Cooper MP, Nigel Evans MP, Lord Lexden, Jack Lopresti MP, Conor McGinn MP, Baroness Ó Cathain, Chris Ruane MP, Willie Coffey MSP and Ross Greer MP. I would now like to hand over to my Co-Chair, Seán Crowe. 9.45 am The Co-Chairman (Mr Seán Crowe TD): Good morning. I am delighted to welcome Members here today for the fifty-eighth plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Members will have received the copy of the programme of business. During this plenary, we will focus some of our discussions on the urgent challenges facing us as parliamentarians, particularly in relation to climate change, and we will hear from a number of speakers on this issue. We will shortly hear from Richard Bruton, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, who will give the opening address to the Assembly. We will also hear from Laura Burke, director general of the Environmental Protection Agency, this morning. Later in the afternoon, we will consider the impact on the marine environment, when Dr Stephen Hynes and Professor Melanie Austen address the Assembly. We will hear from the British Ambassador, His Excellency Robin Barnett, who will update the Assembly on British-Irish diplomatic relations. In the afternoon, the business of the Assembly will include the adoption of the annual report and updates from Committee Chairs A and C and a debate on a motion agreed at the Steering Committee. We will also hear from Dr Anthony Soares, Centre for Cross Border Studies, who will address the Assembly on the report, ‘A New Common Chapter’. We expect today’s session to conclude around 5.30 pm. This will give Members an opportunity to freshen up ahead of travelling to Powerscourt Estate for a reception and formal dinner which will be addressed by Simon Coveney, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, who will address the after-dinner speech. We are delighted that Committee B will present its report to this Assembly on Tuesday morning. Darren Millar AM, Chair of Committee B, will present Committee B’s report, the ‘Second Interim Report on European Security Cooperation: Port Security and Infrastructure’, to the Assembly. Lord Dubs will also update the Assembly on the work of Committee D. The Assembly will then hear from representatives from the National Youth Council of Ireland on its work on sustainable development goals. Again, it is hoped that the Assembly will adjourn at 12.15 pm on Tuesday. It is very fitting that we have a plenary in this beautiful and historic county of Wicklow, as we discuss the future challenges impacting not only on politics but on all our citizens’ lives, in particular the growing urgency and the need to deal with climate matters. ADOPTION OF PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF BUSINESS The Co-Chairman (Mr Seán Crowe TD): I will now ask Deputy Declan Breathnach to formally move that the adoption of the proposed programme of business be agreed. The Vice-Chairman (Deputy Declan Breathnach): Thank you, Co-Chairs. I wish to formally propose the adoption of the programme of business for the fifty-eighth plenary of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. The Co-Chairman (Mr Seán Crowe TD): Is that agreed? Programme of Business agreed. ADDRESS BY MR RICHARD BRUTON TD, MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS, CLIMATE ACTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Co-Chairman (Mr Andrew Rosindell MP): Thank you very much, Seán. Ladies and gentlemen, it now gives me great pleasure to invite our first speaker to address the Assembly today. I welcome Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, to give his opening address. I welcome you, sir, to the Assembly today as we hear your opening address, and then we will take questions from the floor. Thank you so much for coming.