Speech by Tánaiste Simon Harris at British Irish Chamber of Commerce Conference, 2 October 2025, Royal Dublin Conference Centre

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Thank you Daire,

Colleagues, friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to be joining you once again to address the British Irish Chamber of Commerce Dinner.

I am also delighted to say, that British-Irish cooperation is once again on a strong positive trajectory with real momentum. I want to talk about our bilateral relationship first, before touching upon the EU and then wider global issues.

British Irish Relations

As neighbours, as trading partners, as co-guarantors of an international agreement which secured peace on this island, partnership and constructive cooperation between the Irish and British Governments is vital.

We should never be complacent about our relationship, and much work remains ahead of us. But, we should allow ourselves to recognise and celebrate progress - and real progress has been achieved.

Upon taking office last summer, the British Government signalled its intent for a better relationship both with Ireland and the EU – and they meant it. In the year since, we have seen a renewal in both. We called it a reset have gone on to show that reset is very real.

I was honoured as Taoiseach to be the first guest hosted by Prime Minister Starmer in Chequers and just a couple of months later, I hosted him in Farmleigh. This momentum has continued at pace, as demonstrated by the first annual British-Irish Summit, held in March of this year in Liverpool.

At that Summit we agreed to take forward an ambitious programme of work in a range of areas which illustrate the breadth and depth of our shared values and interests.

Central to these activities is the aim of strengthening our economic relationship, as well as facing together the challenges posed by the turbulent global context. The extensive and ambitious work plan running up to 2030 is extremely positive and encouraging.

I welcome, in particular, the range of commitments:

to support our trading relationship (worth 2.4 billion Euro per week);

to work together towards meeting our clean energy ambitions;

and to engage on issues including research and innovation, education, culture and young people.

In a deeply challenging geopolitical environment, I welcome also the commitments to cooperate on foreign policy and security issues.

We also see the strengthening of joint efforts to make full use of the Good Friday Agreement institutions. Through the British Irish Inter-Governmental conference, for example, we have had constructive discussions over the past year – the main focus has, of course, been on Northern Ireland but we have also covered issues including energy cooperation, cybersecurity and research and innovation.

Legacy

Central to our improved relationship has been progress on core issues relating to Northern Ireland. Last month the Secretary of State and I agreed a Joint Framework on addressing the legacy of the Troubles. At the heart of this Framework is our role as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement; our shared responsibility for peace and reconciliation across these islands.

This framework is a comprehensive package designed to provide truth and accountability for victims and families who have lost loved ones. It represents a return to partnership by the two Governments on Northern Ireland. Implementation will be key – and the path ahead will need just as much work as went into the negotiations. But it is a clear example that the most difficult, most intractable problems can be resolved when there is the political will to do so.

Relations with Scotland, the North of England, Wales

More broadly, we are strengthening links right across these islands.

Our Consulate in Edinburgh celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and Enterprise Ireland has recently opened new offices in Glasgow. I am looking forward to launching a new Ireland-Scotland Cooperation Framework with First Minister Swinney before the end of the year.

Our ties with the North of England continue to deepen. The Consulate and Enterprise Ireland offices there are building important links across the region. The metro Mayors of Manchester and Liverpool will shortly be making their third visit to Ireland, with a strong focus on trade, particularly tech and life sciences.

A new Ireland-Wales Joint Action Plan and Shared Statement to 2030 was published in July, during my visit to Swansea. I look forward to returning to Wales in December for the next British Irish Council Summit.

Diaspora

All of you here this evening are well aware just how essential people-to-people contacts are to our business community, and our wider set of relationships.

Everywhere I go in the world, I am struck by the openness of Irish business leaders to share connections and insights. As committed in the Programme for Government, we are looking forward to delivering a new diaspora strategy early next year and work on this is being led by Minister of State, Neale Richmond.

The views of organisations like this Chamber will be very important and I encourage you to engage in the consultation process. As part of this strategy, I want to see a more focussed approach to availing of the goodwill and expertise on offer to the greatest extent possible in support of the Government’s trade and investment priorities.

I understand that Minister Richmond has invited the Chamber to a Diaspora Business consultation in Galway next month. I hope you have an opportunity to attend and share your views.

EU-UK relations

Turning to the EU context, I know that the Chamber’s AGM heard from Commissioner Šefčovič this morning. Ireland has consistently supported the strongest possible EU-UK ties.

The first EU-UK Summit, held in May, was an important landmark. There is now a joint agenda of work on energy, security and defence, justice, food safety and health standards and people-to-people connections.

I have been encouraging my EU colleagues to support an ambitious approach and to seize this moment of opportunity to re-frame the critical EU-UK relationship.

There is a commitment to work towards an SPS agreement between the EU and the UK. This is good news for Irish exporters – the UK is the biggest destination for our food and drinks exports. Once agreed and implemented, a comprehensive SPS Agreement would greatly reduce the administrative burden on agri-food businesses. It would eliminate the requirement for almost all veterinary export certificates.

It is also good news for Northern Ireland, in the context of the Windsor Framework. I must stress that we have no illusions: negotiating this agreement will take time. The UK has work to do to come back fully in line with EU food safety standards. I was pleased that the draft EU negotiating mandate on SPS was published before the summer and I hope to see swift progress here and in other areas, including Emissions Trading – which I raised with the Commissioner this morning.

Windsor Framework

As work proceeds on this new agenda for cooperation, fulfilling existing agreements is crucial. I must emphasise that the full, timely, and faithful implementation of the Windsor Framework is as important as ever. I was encouraged to hear the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, recently stress the UK Government’s continued commitment to its implementation. This is vital as a confidence building measure ahead of any future EU-UK agreements.

That is why this week I committed to retaining the Government’s Brexit Stakeholder Forum. The forum which will be renamed in the coming weeks is an invaluable cross departmental and stakeholder engagement group on UK, EU and Irish relations. I see many of those who sit on the forum gathered here tonight and I thank them for partnership.

Trade

Ireland has supported, and long benefitted from, an open, globalised trading order. But it is clear we are now in a different era.

Following a tumultuous period, August’s Joint Statement on EU-US trade does represent progress. It provides a degree of stability and certainty for Irish exporters.

The single, all-inclusive 15% tariff on EU goods avoids a harmful tariff-escalation and ensures continued market access.

It is not a perfect outcome. Let’s be clear. Ireland’s strong view remains that tariffs are bad for business, bad for consumers and bad for relationships. We will continue to make the case for zero for zero carves outs, in as many areas as possible.

Last Thursday I met US Commerce Secretary Lutnick for a candid and substantive discussion about trade and policy issues. We agreed that EU-US Framework Agreement will provide some much-needed stability in a turbulent trade environment; and I made the case to him that further carve-outs will deliver for businesses, workers and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

As a country which has benefitted enormously from US investment here in Ireland – but is also now the 5th largest investor in the US – we know that trade and investment are not zero-sum games, but can, should and must be mutually beneficial.

The European Commission is now enacting the agreed EU tariff reductions. And the US has listed tariff exemptions for generic pharmaceuticals, aircraft and aircraft parts.

The recent announcement by President Trump of new US tariffs of 100% on patented pharmaceuticals caused some concern. But the Joint Statement made absolutely clear that any new tariffs on pharmaceuticals under the Section 232 investigation would be capped at 15% for pharma products being exported by the EU. This underlines again the value of the agreement reached last month.

I know that there are real concerns, which I share, about the implications of the US deals for the all-island economy.

The UK-US agreement entails a 10% tariff, in addition to existing Most Favoured Nations rates. The EU-US deal on the other hand is inclusive of those rates. As a result, while there are differentials in headline tariff rates north and south, in many sectors the difference in reality may be limited.

Nevertheless, we continue to monitor this closely, and to engage actively with our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive. I am also conscious of the work of Intertrade Ireland, through their trade hub, in consistently supporting SMEs on both sides of the border, and I know they are well positioned to assist businesses through the challenge of differential tariffs.

We all know that supply chains on this island are deeply connected, and this has brought benefits to so many businesses and communities.

And so we will continue to highlight the particular situation of Northern Ireland and the all-island economy in all our discussions, including with the US and the European Commission.

Ukraine, Palestine

In the broader, global context, I want to stress again how important it is that Ireland and the UK work together constructively and ambitiously. I look forward to hosting the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper in Ireland next week, and I know that we will find common ground on many issues.

Ireland and the UK have both been steadfast in our support for Ukraine. Both countries have stood steadfastly behind the Ukrainian people and have prioritised political, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support, since Russia’s brutal full invasion on February 2022. That commitment will continue.

I know that the Foreign Secretary and I are both deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza. I very much welcome that the UK recently recognised the State of Palestine, as Ireland did last May. I also welcome the recent efforts to end the conflict. There is a chance to silence the guns, secure the release of hostages and get vitally needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. Now is the time for all of us to use our influence to bring about genuine and lasting peace.

Concluding remarks

In closing let me say once again how much I value your work as a Chamber and the voice you bring to us in Government. The improved relationship between the British and Irish Governments is very positive but it isn’t static. As this relationship evolves it is as important as ever that we focus on areas of shared interest. And, in doing so, we are fortunate to be able to draw on those areas where the Chamber has particular strengths: building connections, growing prosperity and further strengthening the already rich and deep business ties across these islands.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.