Scottish and Irish governments launch consultation on future collaboration

The Scottish and Irish governments have launched a joint consultation on collaboration and the future relationship between the two countries.

An online questionnaire, which is open to the public, looks at how the two countries can work together over the next five years.

Covering areas including business and the economy, culture and education, the questionnaire is part of a bilateral review of Scottish-Irish relations, which was launched in November and will lead to a set of joint goals for 2020-25.

The review covers collaboration in key policy areas such as business, community, culture, rural affairs and academia, building on the experiences of joint initiatives such as the Irish-Scottish Health Forum.

External affairs secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Scotland and Ireland have a strong and long-lasting friendship, forged through our shared history and culture.

“Through this review we want to build on that friendship even further, strengthening existing areas of collaboration while seeking new opportunities to work together, trade and learn from each other.

“If you’ve lived, worked, studied or done business in both countries, or simply have an interest in Scottish-Irish relations, we’d love to hear from you.”