Gains to be made by growing connections

Jerry O'Donovan

AMIDST glorious sunshine across Scotland, the last while also saw a blaze of activity in terms of Irish Scottish business links. In late April, I was delighted to join First Minister John Swinney in Irvine for the opening of an advanced timber frame house manufacturing site by Longford based timber company Glennon Brothers. This significant Irish FDI investment in Scotland will deliver low carbon components for 2500 homes and the new design and delivery technology will lead to quicker construction and turnaround times. Glennon Brothers now employ more than 340 people directly across their four operations in Scotland, with another 170 indirectly employed in harvesting and haulage and the creation of this new facility brings Glennon Brothers total investment in Scotland to over €80 million. Housing is an acute challenge in both Ireland and Scotland and innovations such as this new facility will help us both address this vital issue.

In early May, the Minister of Business Richard Lochhead and I greeted a large delegation of Irish tourism operators from the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) who met with their counterparts in The Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA). We were hosted in the incredible Johnnie Walker Princes Street facility hosted by Sligoman Rob Maxwell, the Head of Experience for this very important tourism location in the heart of Edinburgh. This was a great opportunity for Irish and Scottish tourism to discuss shared challenges and opportunities in a sector which has a huge local impact, particularly in rural and island communities.

Later in the month, we joined Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Niamh Smyth TD for the formal opening of the new Enterprise Ireland UK Glasgow office. The opening of this office is a very important development and with more than 300 Irish companies already exporting to Scotland, Enterprise Ireland’s new Glasgow office will act as a strategic hub for Irish businesses scaling in Scotland. The Glasgow office is now Enterprise Ireland’s third office in Britain, supporting client companies right across the UK and will have a particular focus on the offshore renewable sector, a huge area of activity between the two countries. The Consulate works very closely with the Enterprise Ireland (EI) team to support Irish exports and I would like to pay special tribute to the new EI office manager in Scotland, Lynn Obi, and the Enterprise Ireland GB manager Laura Brocklebank, for their hard work and dedication in setting up this significant addition to the Irish Scottish trade relationship.

Minister Smyth’s visit also included a meeting with Minister Richard Lochhead to discuss bilateral economic cooperation, international trade challenges and developing sectors such as AI and Quantum computing. A large group of incredible Irish companies took part in this trade visit represent ing the best Irish offering in the offshore renew ables, agri-tech, digital and infrastructure sectors. The trade mission programme includes a visit to the award winning Winchburgh Wastewater Treatment Plant near Edinburgh, designed and built by Enterprise Ireland client EPS, a specialist engineering company focusing on water and wastewater infrastructure.

A number of high profile office openings and contract signings were also formalised which will lead to hundreds of new jobs in Scotland and for Irish companies to expand their market presence here. Some of the exciting announcements included: engineering firm Cleantech Civils opening their first Scottish office in Coatbridge; Uniquely, a customer service and sales outsourcing provider, announcing their office opening in Glasgow with a commitment to create 300 jobs; and Subsea Micropiles announced that they have secured an investment of £9.2 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank with plans to create 100 jobs over the next five years in Scotland.

Speaking on her visit to Scotland, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Niamh Smyth TD said that ‘the trade mission reflects the strength and potential of Irish Scottish trade collaboration and particularly on the offshore wind agenda, with opportunities for Ireland and Scotland to maximise offshore wind potential through collaboration on supply chain development, innovation, and policy alignment. Also given the wider context of changes and disruption in the global trading environment, strengthening our trading relationship internationally and maximising global opportunities is a priority.’

The Consulate were delighted to host a delegation from Chambers Ireland, the federation of chambers of commerce on the island of Ireland, who visited Scotland to explore opportunities in the energy sector. This delegation included representatives from the Chambers of Northern Ireland, Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Sligo, Wexford, Kildare and Meath. They had a packed schedule including visits to Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and energy related engagements with the University of Edinburgh, the FloWave ocean energy research centre and Forth Ports. I provided an update on recent political and economic links between Ireland and Scotland and we had an engaging discussion on the opportunities for increased trade between the two countries, especially for their SME members.

Addressing needs

In addition to this busy period of economic activity, we also arranged a busy programme for Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Michael Moynihan for engagements in Edinburgh and Stirling in mid-May. The provision of supports to those with additional education needs has become an increasingly complex area of policy across the Western world and this was Minister Moynihan’s first overseas visit as a Minister. His decision to visit Scotland first reflects Scotland’s reputation globally in terms of its educational policy in this area.

During his time in Scotland, Minister Moynihan and a team from the Department of Education had a detailed discussion with Cabinet Secretary Gilruth (above) and her officials on providing education to those with additional support needs as well as best practice in inclusive education. The minister then met with the Chief Executive of Education Scotland, Gillian Hamilton and a number of her colleagues who outlined the role of Education Scotland in supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education. The delegation also held meetings with the City of Edinburgh and City of Stirling’s education policy teams to discuss the role that local authorities play in implementing the national policy framework in relation to educational inclusion.

Minister Moynihan visited two schools in Edinburgh, Longstone Primary School and Redhall Special School. The two schools are next to each other and share some campus facilities including a common sports hall, sensory spaces as well as a shared outdoor forest area. The minister and delegation met with staff, students and parents from both schools and got to understand the supports and set-up available at the special provision school, as well as the supports available to students with ASN at the primary school, hearing first-hand from P6 and P7 students in particular.

The ministerial delegation visited the Raploch Education and Community Campus on the outskirts of Stirling. A tour of the facilities involved a visit to the dedicated special education primary school with spaces for 30 children with highly complex educational and medical needs. It offers multisensory rooms, a hydrotherapy pool and dedicated facilities for children with acute mobility needs. This campus also included a council run primary school, a Catholic primary school and a council run nursery all of which offer integrated classes included children with specific special needs. Located in an area with one of the highest deprivation indexes in Scotland, the campus was an impressive initiative by Stirling Council. The delegation also met with management, staff and parents of children in the campus who spoke very positively on the quality of teaching and care on offer as well as the impact that this had on their ability to work.

The ministerial visit concluded with a visit to Wallace High School and to its special education needs unit, Ochil House. This involved a tour of one of the largest high schools in Stirling with more than 1200 students in a modern integrated campus which included very impressive sport and special needs facilities. The delegation undertook a tour of Ochil House, a meeting with management and engagement with students, staff and parents.

Whether in the area of trade or discussing how to best support young students who need additional support in their educational journeys, the last month has underlined that there is much to be gained by enhancing links between Ireland and Scotland.

 Jerry O’Donovan is the Consul General of Ireland in Scotland