4. Miss McIlveen asked the Minister for Communities whether he has any plans to enhance Northern Ireland’s Ulster-Scots links with the United States of America. (AQO 615/22-27)

The contribution and influence that the early Ulster-Scots migrants made to the traditions, values and history of the United States of America is immeasurable. From the American Revolution, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the war of independence, through to the establishment and development of a new nation, Ulster-Scots settlers played a hugely important role. Indeed, no fewer than 20 of the 45 men who have served as President of the United States can trace their roots to Ulster, including, of course, Andrew Jackson, whose parents left Carrickfergus, in my constituency, in 1765.

The success of the Ulster-Scots Agency’s recent exhibition at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), which celebrated the role of the Ulster Scots in shaping the events leading to the US Declaration of Independence, highlights the opportunities. We need to do better at exploiting those opportunities and the incredible potential that exists. I am therefore delighted to announce today that I have established a United States/Northern Ireland cultural working group, led by my Department. The group involves key agencies here and in the United States, including the Northern Ireland Bureau, the Ulster-Scots Agency, PRONI, Tourism Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland. The group is working to identify new opportunities and to develop a programme of cultural engagement in the United States and in Northern Ireland. It will promote the role of the Ulster-Scots early settlers in influencing American society and commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. I am excited about the opportunities to develop a greater understanding of Ulster-Scots links with the United States and to build new partnerships to achieve cultural, social and economic objectives.

I thank the Minister for his response and welcome his announcement. Will he consider working with local councils, which have well-established links, particularly through sister cities? The relationships are already in place in the United States, and I will give an example of Belfast and Nashville. I also encourage the Minister and his officials to meet and discuss his proposals with the Ulster-Scots Community Network, which is the representative body for the Ulster-Scots community in Northern Ireland.

Yes, absolutely. I agree with everything that the Member has said. First, I think that councils play a really important role in helping to foster those social and cultural links. The sister cities projects are a great example of how you can establish those, and I think of Belfast and Nashville in particular.

I also take on board what she said about the Ulster-Scots Community Network. It is key that it is involved. There is huge potential here to exploit all the links, and I do not think that we have maximised that potential. I would love to see everybody involved in making sure that we make the most of it, especially as we head towards the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

I agree that we have not tapped the full potential of the Ulster-Scots cultural and linguistic community here. Does the Minister agree that, before we look externally, we need to fully recognise the potential here and look at some initiatives to promote Irish and Ulster-Scots culture and language together and promote inclusivity of all languages in Northern Ireland?

First, I do not think that this is just a language issue; it goes into heritage, history and culture as well. Secondly, I do not think that it is about excluding anybody or pitting one against the other. We have very distinct links with the United States that have not been exploited very much. We see the influence of Irish America. It is there, and that is to be welcomed. However, I do not think that the Ulster-Scots influence in the United States has been there. There is a lot more work that we can do. That is something that I want to see happen, and it is something that I hope will happen. It is about developing and building those relationships, all for the benefit of people here. That is why we have included the tourism organisations. We would love to see more people from the US come here. We want to make sure that PRONI is ready to help them, because we understand how important ancestry and family history are to many tourists. The group is about making sure that we do everything we can to exploit the links that are there and the fantastic history and heritage that exist between Northern Ireland and the United States.

Minister, I welcome any progress on building the Ulster-Scots brand in America. I have been to Andrew Jackson's house outside Nashville. The Scots-Irish/Ulster-Scots contribution is huge. It is cross-community and cross-border, as is the Irish language, because, of course, it predates the partition of Ireland and lots of the divisions that have emerged since. Obviously, we are waiting on an Irish language strategy, and that is determined by statute. Will you, please, inform us where that is at the minute, acknowledging, as I have, the importance of the work on Ulster Scots?

Again, I make the point that, when it comes to the links that we are trying to exploit and develop here, it is not just about language. I am certainly not trying to pit one against the other. I want to make sure that Northern Ireland benefits from this. That is what I intend to do, especially when it comes to the culture, the heritage and the language, as well as the values that contributed so much to the development of the United States.

The language strategies are with officials, and they are being progressed. I will have an update for the House in due course.