Phone a friend and help keep UK in the EU

Encourage voters to help Ireland’s interests by saying no to Brexit, says Charles Flanagan

ONLY 11 days remain until the June 23 referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. The opinion polls remain stubbornly close. Every single vote will count in the end, including those of Irish citizens in the UK and the wider group of the one-in-four UK residents who have some Irish heritage.

This is where every single one of us here in Ireland has an opportunity to contribute. While ultimately it is the voters in the UK who will decide the outcome, each of us can contribute to making the Irish case for the UK, as our closest neighbour and EU partner, to remain in the EU.

Ireland has a unique perspective on and interest in the outcome. Our relationship with the UK is closer than with any other EU member state and we are the only country sharing a land border with the UK — a border that would become an EU frontier if voters opt to leave.

Last week, as part of a series of ministerial visits to Britain and Northern Ireland ahead of the referendum, I visited Liverpool and Manchester and spoke with members of the Irish community, business people, local media and local political leaders.

The visit reminded me of the comprehensive and multi-faceted nature of the Irish-British relationship today, not only in London but all across Britain. Indeed, my flight back from Manchester was one of 99 weekly flights between that city alone and Ireland. It also confirmed once more what I learned on previous visits to London, Scotland and elsewhere: the Irish voice is welcome in this debate.

Preserving that strong relationship between Britain and Ireland is important for all of us, and our both being members of the EU is an important dimension to this. There are four main reasons why, the first of which is the economy.

During that visit to northern England, I saw the scale of successful UK investments by Irish companies, including Cement Roadstone Holdings, Jurys Inns, Glanbia, Kerry Foods and the ABP food group. I want these to continue to grow, along with the many British job-creating investments in Ireland. Studies show there would be an adverse impact on both economies if the UK leaves the EU. Some €1.2bn in goods and services are traded every week between our two countries. EU membership allows for the seamless flow of goods, services, capital and people — and we want to preserve that ease of movement.

Second, a particular priority of mine as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is Northern Ireland. The potential economic impact of a UK exit on Northern Ireland was highlighted very clearly by Chancellor George Osborne when he visited there last Monday. However, the importance of the EU to the North runs deeper still.

The EU has been an important factor in sustaining peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland, providing important opportunities where nationalist and unionist representatives can work together. The EU also provides a broader context for relations on these islands. Much-needed funding, including through programmes like ‘Peace’ and ‘Interreg’, will provide more than €3bn in the period 20142020. Put simply, North-South cooperation is so much easier when both jurisdictions are EU members. At best, there is uncertainty about the status of the border on our island in the event of an EU-exit by the UK, as highlighted time and again by many legal and political commentators.

Third, the Common Travel Area (CTA) between Ireland and the UK has been in existence since Irish independence and is an important feature of the close relationship between our two countries. It allows free movement between the countries and ensures that Irish and British citizens are treated equally regarding access to social welfare. It is particularly important, I believe, to preserve the benefits of ease of travel on the island of Ireland. It is not certain the CTA would continue in its current form, and were the UK to leave the EU this is a matter of some concern.

Finally, we have the EU

‘EU collective voice is much stronger if UK is part of the chorus’

itself. Regardless of the referendum outcome, Ireland will remain in the EU and the eurozone, but we want the UK’s voice to continue being heard as a member state, as we are allies on many of the key issues facing the EU. The EU needs renewal and we need a strong UK on board as we grapple with the many global challenges facing us. In addressing those challenges, the EU collective voice is much stronger when the UK is part of the chorus.

These are among the main reasons we offer when putting forward the Irish view. My experience and that of other ministers travelling to Britain and Northern Ireland is that people want to hear that view.

We need to use these remaining 11 days to offer our perspectives to friends and family members who are entitled to vote. Let them know Ireland values UK membership of the EU; that it matters for relations between Ireland and Britain; that it provides the best framework for trade and investment between our two countries; and that it has made a positive contribution in advancing peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Let’s set ourselves a “phone a friend” target and get in touch with a least five voters and ask them to take the Irish perspective into account when casting their ballot. The cumulative impact could make a real difference to the outcome of a referendum that impacts on the future of all these neighbouring islands.