Standing ovation for Taoiseach

Bertie Ahern addresses the Scottish Parliament

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has told the Scottish Parliament of the lessons the two countries can learn from each other.

The Taoiseach received a standing ovation from MSPs when he addressed the parliament on Wednesday.

He stressed the business, cultural, intellectual and political links between Scotland and Ireland - and told MSPs that trade between Scotland and Ireland was now worth £1bn a year.

Mr Ahern with Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell

And Mr Ahern also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Cardinal Thomas Winning, the leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, following his death from a suspected heart attack.

He said the Archbishop of Glasgow had been an "outstanding example" of the links, qualities and values that Irish people had brought to Scotland.

Cardinal Winning's grandfather had emigrated to Scotland from county Donegal around the time of the Great Famine, he said.

"It was with shock and sadness that I heard of his death on Sunday last," said the Taoiseach.

"He was a churchman of international stature and strong voice for social justice," Mr Ahern added.

There is much to be learned from exchanging ideas and emulating each other's best practice in areas of mutual interest

Bertie Ahern

"I deeply mourn his passing and I take this opportunity to express my sympathy to the Scottish nation on their great loss."

Mr Ahern told MSPs that people in Ireland had greeted the "reconvening" of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 with "warmth and gratification".

He said Dublin had responded rapidly to the "new political reality" of devolution in Britain by opening consulates-general in Edinburgh and Cardiff.

"This was intended to give a clear signal of our desire to build productive links with the new administrations in our Celtic neighbours," he said.

"The last two years have seen a notable intensification of Scottish-Irish political dialogue with series of high level visits in both directions.

Exchanging ideas

"While our constitutional situations are very different, we are similar in population, land area, geographical location and economic structure.

"There is much to be learned from exchanging ideas and emulating each other's best practice in areas of mutual interest."

He said there was the potential to boost trade and tourism between the two countries.

"Irish-Scottish trade already totals £1bn a year and there is significant scope for this to grow strongly in the years ahead," he said.

The Taoiseach added that there were long-standing links between Scotland and Ireland.

MSPs gave Mr Ahern a standing ovation

"It is, I believe, the shared circumstances of today, the very similar economic and social challenges we face, that are at the heart of the new Scottish-Irish relationship.

"Our priority must be to connect today's Ireland with today's Scotland for our mutual benefit.

"We look forward to working closely with your new political institutions whenever our paths cross, as they must frequently do."

He said he planned to hold talks with First Minister Henry McLeish and Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell with the aim of developing the relationship "in new and mutually beneficial directions".

Mr McLeish said the visit was an "outstandingly important" day in the history of the two countries.

He said devolution had made possible a new relationship between Scotland and Ireland.

And he added: "The energy and the focus of our new parliament have given Scotland a new sense of itself."