Visit of the Honourable Raymonde Gagné, Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, United Kingdom and Ireland

 

From February 19 to 22, 2024, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Raymonde Gagné, led a parliamentary delegation to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The delegation consisted of the Honourable Jane Cordy, Senator, the Honourable Percy Mockler, Senator, and the Honourable Colin Deacon, Senator. Accompanying the delegation were Mr. Daniel Beaudette, Mr. Vincent MacNeil, Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, and Ms. Vanessa Moss-Norbury, Secretary to the delegation.

In London, United Kingdom, the delegation met with the following officials:

• The Right Honourable, Lord Speaker, the Lord McFall of Alcluith;
• Baroness Rosie Boycott;
• Lord Timothy Clement-Jones;
• Baroness Lindsay Northover;
• Lord Aamer Sarfraz;
• Mr. Naqib Bhatti, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; and
• Representatives from Chatham House, the Ada Lovelace Institute, the Alan Turing Institute, the Institute for Government, and the Climate Change Committee.

In Dublin, Ireland, the delegation met with the following officials:

• His Excellency Micheal D. Higgins, President;
• His Excellency Leo Varadkar, TD, Taoiseach;
• His Excellency Micheál Martin, TD, Tánaiste and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence;
• His Excellency Seán Ó Fearghaíl, TD, An Ceann Comhairle (Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies),
• His Excellency Jerry Buttimer, An Cathaoirleach (Speaker of the Senate);
• The Honourable Dara Calleary, TD, Minister for State for Enterprise, Trade and Employment;
• Members of the Committee on Environment and Climate Action;
• Members of the Committee on the Irish Language;
• Members of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and
• Mr. David Stanton, TD, Convenor of the Ireland-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and members of the Friendship Group.

The purpose of the visit to the United Kingdom and Ireland was to strengthen bilateral relations, enhance trade and investment relations, and explore opportunities for further cooperation in the areas of artificial intelligence, climate change, and the protection of linguistic minorities.

The report will be available once it has been tabled in the Senate.