Ireland, the European Union and Canada

Head Table Guests

Ann Curran, President, Curran & Associates and a Director, The Empire Club of Canada; The Rev. Bill Hockin, Rector, St. Paul's Anglican Church; Edward McConnell, Chairman, AFM Hospitality Corporation and Canadian Observer to the International Fund for Ireland; Paul O'Donoghue, Chairman and CEO, Marsh & McLennan; Ted McCollum, President, McCollum & Associates and President, Ontario Chamber of Commerce; Peter Davies, British Consul General; Barry Mawhinney, Ambassador of Canada to Ireland; William Chambers, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, The Molson Companies Ltd. and a Director, The Canadian Club of Canada; Rowland Fleming, President, Toronto Stock Exchange; His Excellency Paul Dempsey, Ambassador of Ireland to Canada; Richard O'Hagan, Special Advisor to the Chairman, Bank of Montreal; and Libby Burnham, Q.C., Counsel, Borden & Elliot and President, The Canadian Club of Toronto.

Introduction by David Edmison

At first glance Canada and Ireland would seem quite different. After all, Ireland's entire land mass would fit easily into the province of Ontario. Yet in many ways, we are quite similar. Our countries are trading nations and our economies have, by necessity, diversified from relatively narrow agrarian roots. We are blessed with beautiful natural resources, our most enduring asset. We live beside large economically dominant neighbours who cannot help but exert influence over our general existence. As fellow members of the OECD, both our nations have been committed to the expansion of trade and freer access to world markets. Today, we face the pressures of competing in a global economy, while at the same time striving to maintain our individuality and culture.

Perhaps more important though and what makes us so similar is the "Irish" in all of us. I don't just mean our yearly ritual every March 17 when we wear something green and some sip green beer or shamrock milkshakes. It stems in part from our ancestry, those hard-working forebears, many of whom settled here during the famine in the mid-19th century. But also it comes from our love of the Irish myths, the stories, the songs, and the poems. Yes, the spirit of the Irish is thriving in Canada from coast to coast.

So it is with great pleasure I welcome to this podium the Prime Minister of Ireland, the Taoiseach, Mr. John Bruton. Our guest was elected the Taoiseach on December 15, 1994 by the Irish Parliament, the Dail Eireann. He leads a three-party coalition government comprising Fine Gail, the Labour Party, and Democratic Left. Mr. Bruton was first elected to the Dail as its youngest member in 1969. He has been involved in a number of portfolios including Finance, Agriculture, Education and Industry and Commerce. He was elected leader of the Fine Gail in November 1990, and has served as President of the Irish Council of the European Movement since that date. Mr. Bruton has extensive parliamentary experience and has authored several publications on parliamentary reform.

Recently Mr. Bruton has won plaudits for his efforts to resolve the issue of Northern Ireland. Together with Prime Minister John Major, he helped author "Frameworks for the Future," a 43-page document setting out a shared understanding between the British and Irish governments to assist the process of discussion and negotiation. A recent article in the Irish Independent described his coalition government's efforts saying: "The crowning achievement has been the collective skill with which all three leaders have worked on the Northern Ireland question, and on sustaining and strengthening the peace."

Ladies and gentlemen, would you please welcome our distinguished guest, the Taoiseach Mr. John Bruton, Prime Minister of Ireland.

John Bruton

I have the honour to address you today as head of the government of Ireland. I have come here to renew acquaintance with Canada, a country with which Ireland has many ties of kinship, and to pay tribute to its achievements.

Ireland has had considerable economic success. It was the fastest-growing economy in the OECD area in 1994. Total employment in Ireland grew in each of the years 1992, 1993 and 1994, and grew faster than the OECD average. Meanwhile, inflation has remained very low. The balance of payments has a surplus on current account. Our public finances are in a healthy state. This is a performance of which we can be proud.

An important factor in our economic stability is Ireland's membership in the European Monetary System. Europe will be moving to a full monetary union towards the end of the century and we in Ireland are actively preparing for this new development.

Over a thousand foreign firms have now located in Ireland, attracted by our well-educated, well-qualified work force, by our favourable tax environment and by our access to the single European market of over 350 million consumers. Among the Canadian firms are large industrial corporations such as Dominion Textile, Alcan, Westinghouse Canada and Northern Telecom. We also have substantial Canadian participation in the insurance, banking and retail sectors, including Canada Life, the Bank of Nova Scotia, Sun Life, Reed Steenhouse and the Weston Group.

I would invite Canadians planning investment abroad to consider Ireland as their European base. Some of the largest corporations in the world have done so. A move to Ireland is a move you will not regret.

European Union

For over 20 years now Ireland, through its membership in the European Union, has actively participated in and supported the increased strengthening and integration of Europe. Our membership in the European Union has been rooted in the understanding that the Union is the cornerstone of political and economic stability in Europe.

Within Europe the strength of the Union can be seen in the growing number of applicant member states which it is attracting. This year the European Union expanded to include three new member states. The 15 current member states of the European Union will convene an intergovernmental conference next year. The decisions taken at this intergovernmental conference will prepare to accommodate a future membership of possibly up to 30 member states.

The intergovernmental conference next year will, in effect, have to prepare a larger Europe for a smaller world. I have no doubt that in that context the European Union of the future will place even greater emphasis on continuing the development of its external relations.

As many of you here will know, the European Union's 15 member states rotate the presidency of the Union every six months. From July, 1996, Ireland will assume the presidency of the Union for its six-month term.

The presidency of the European Union is an opportunity to advance the agenda of the European Union in an effective and efficient manner. Clearly, Europe's transatlantic relationship is, and will remain, a very important priority.

Since 1990, EU-Canada relations have been guided by the Declaration on EC-Canada Relations. That Declaration recognised that transatlantic solidarity has played an historic role in preserving peace and freedom and can contribute greatly in the future to the continued stability and prosperity of Europe and North America.

The Declaration on EC-Canada Relations also acknowledged the fact that Canada and the European Union share a common heritage and are bound by close historical, political, economic and cultural ties. Both Canada and the European Union believe in the values of multiculturalism, human dignity, intellectual freedom and civil liberties as well as in the democratic institutions that have evolved on both sides of the Atlantic over the centuries. In addition to our shared commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, the EU and Canada share a commitment to strengthening the world trading system. Canada and the European Union member states are among the 81 founder members of the World Trade Organization.

The European Union is Canada's second-largest trading partner. Canada accounts for 20 per cent of foreign investment in the European Union. The European Union accounts for 23 per cent of foreign investment in Canada.

Clearly the many and varied ties that bind Canada and the European Union together are important and will remain so. Ireland, as a member state of the European Union, will look forward to participating in the development of those relations over the period that lies ahead.

The appreciation of the meeting was expressed by Libby Burnham, Q.C., Counsel, Borden & Elliot and President, The Canadian Club of Toronto.