Iran war increases importance of good UK-Ireland relations

The conflict in the Middle East has increased the importance of good relations between the UK and Ireland, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Sir Keir met Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin in Cork on Friday as part of the UK-Ireland summit.

The two leaders have agreed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on security, where the two countries vow to protect sub-sea cables, critical underwater infrastructure, and tackle cyber attacks.

In a joint statement on Friday, Sir Keir and Martin said cooperation on energy security, seeking to reduce prices and the renewed defence MoU was "more vital than ever, given current volatility".

They said: "We recognise that our domestic priorities - from urgent delivery of critical infrastructure and clean power to investing in innovation and skills - are most effectively realised through cooperation."

Martin added that coordination was "very important to underpin and guarantee our economic security in a very challenging and uncertain world".

It comes a day after Sir Keir announced £937m in Irish investment into the UK, which will create about 850 new jobs.

It will include an energy connector project between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which the UK government said will help bring down electricity costs on both sides of the border.

A separate energy connector will connect Wales and Ireland and provide enough power for 570,000 homes.

The leaders' joint statement, released after the meeting, includes a list of agreed actions in the areas of "shared prosperity, shared seas and shared ties".

The document also outlines co-operation on research in areas such as quantum technology and 6G, emergency preparedness, and opportunities around offshore energy infrastructure.

Speaking earlier, Sir Keir said the British-Irish relationship was now in a "much better place".

He also said Europe needed to "step up" on defence and security, adding that last night, RAF typhoons extended their action to Bahrain.

Separately, both governments announced that benefits survivors of mother-and-baby home currently receive will not be cut.

Those who live in the UK but received payouts from the Irish redress scheme will now not see a reduction in their social welfare as a result of Friday's decision.

"The UK agrees to disregard payments under Ireland's Mother and Baby Redress Scheme, ensuring that survivors in both countries are treated the same and can receive the compensation to which they are rightly entitled," the governments said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Martin said "a lot of progress" had been made on legacy proposals, adding that this was a "tangible" outcome of the improved relationship between the UK and Ireland.

"This is an opportunity now, a generational opportunity to get the legacy issue over the line so we can begin to respond to the needs of families with generational anguish and trauma that we need to respond to," he said.

"It has gone on for far, far too long."

Earlier this week, DUP leader Gavin Robinson accused the Irish government of failing victims after it refused to allow gardaí (Irish police) to share information about Troubles-related killings.

"We would reject any idea that we're not providing any information," said Martin.

The first annual UK-Ireland summit took place last year in Liverpool.

Annual summits between the two countries were agreed as part of a "reset" in the relationship between the UK and Ireland shortly after Sir Keir became prime minister.

Ahead of the summit, Sir Keir visited the Tyndall National Institute in Cork, a leading research centre in ICT and electronics.

The day before Sir Keir travelled to Cork, leaders from across Northern Ireland's political parties met him on Thursday morning in Belfast.

Speaking at a women's centre near Belfast, Sir Keir said talks with politicians were focused on ensuring that money allocated in the Autumn Budget to help with electricity costs would be made available "as quickly as possible".

On Thursday night, Sir Keir met business leaders and was joined by Martin as well as the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle.

He also met young people from the Ireland-UK youth forum advisory group to hear their views.

He then attended a cultural event at Cork City Hall, where there were protesters holding Iranian and Palestinian flags.