立法院江啟臣副院長於本（7月21）日下午在國民黨陳永康委員、民進黨王正旭委員、民眾黨陳昭姿委員、國際事務處林晨富處長及外交部歐洲司李秀窈副秘書長等人陪同下，接見「愛爾蘭眾議院副議長訪問團」麥基尼士（John McGuinness）副議長一行5人。
On the afternoon of July 21, Legislative Yuan Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang, accompanied by KMT Legislator Adm. Chen Yeong-Kang, DPP Legislator Dr. Wang Cheng-Hsu, TPP Legislator Chen Gau-Tzu, Director Kevin C.F. Lin of the Department of International Affairs, and Deputy Secretary General Josephine Lee of the Department of European Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, received a five-member delegation led by Deputy Speaker of the Irish House of Representatives, John McGuinness.
江副院長偕出席委員與訪賓合影後表示，非常榮幸在立法院第二度接待愛爾蘭訪賓，亦代表韓國瑜院長及立法院感謝愛爾蘭對臺灣之長期支持，不僅持續聲援臺灣的國際參與，更協助推動臺灣與歐盟洽簽雙邊投資協定（BIA）。江副院長特感謝麥基尼士副議長對臺灣的堅定友好，不僅曾8度訪臺，亦擔任愛爾蘭國會友臺小組主席，積極促進臺愛兩國國會間的緊密交流。
After taking a group photo with the visiting delegation and attending legislators, Vice President Chiang expressed his great honor in welcoming Irish guests to the Legislative Yuan for the second time. On behalf of the Legislative Yuan and its president Daniel K.Y. Han, he thanked Ireland for its longstanding support for Taiwan: not only for its continued advocacy of Taiwan’s international participation, but also for its efforts to advance the signing of the Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) between Taiwan and the European Union. He expressed particular appreciation to Deputy Speaker McGuinness for his unwavering friendship with Taiwan, noting that he has visited Taiwan eight times and currently serves as Chair of the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, actively fostering parliamentary exchanges between the two sides.
江副院長續盛讚愛爾蘭的優美景致及深厚軟實力，不僅為《哈利波特》、《星際大戰》等多部知名電影的取景地，更孕育出四位諾貝爾文學獎得主；音樂舞蹈領域如U2、小紅莓樂團與《大河之舞》等作品亦風靡全球。愛爾蘭同時也是科技重鎮，全球前20大科技公司中即有16家在當地設立據點。他並指出，愛爾蘭與臺灣就人口及土地而言皆非大國，然同樣四面環海，經濟發展大幅仰賴國際貿易，雙方在半導體、高科技發展、AI、文化軟實力等領域皆具高度互補性。而根據最新的《IMD世界競爭力年報》（IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook）、聯合國《2025世界幸福報告》（World Happiness Report 2025）顯示，臺灣與愛爾蘭皆展現強勁韌性，同列「高幸福」國家。他誠盼未來兩國持續深化交流合作，並透過雙邊國會聯誼會平台，持續攜手深化臺愛兩國情誼與實質友好關係。
Vice President Chiang also praised Ireland’s scenic beauty and strong cultural soft power. He noted that the country has served as a filming location for globally renowned movies such as Harry Potter and Star Wars, and has produced four Nobel laureates in literature. In music and dance, world-famous names like U2, The Cranberries, and Riverdance have captivated audiences worldwide. Ireland is also a major technology hub, with 16 of the world’s top 20 tech companies establishing a presence there. Vice President Chiang pointed out that while both Taiwan and Ireland are relatively small in terms of land area and population, they are island nations heavily reliant on international trade, adding that the two sides share high complementarities in sectors such as semiconductors, high-tech development, AI, and cultural soft power. He also cited the latest IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook and the United Nations' World Happiness Report 2025, which rank both Taiwan and Ireland among the most resilient and happiest nations. He expressed hope that both sides would continue to deepen their exchanges and cooperation through parliamentary friendship groups, thereby further strengthening the close and substantive ties between Taiwan and Ireland.
麥基尼士副議長感謝江副院長及在座委員撥冗接晤，並依序介紹隨行之訪團成員後表示，愛爾蘭雖在地理面積上屬於小國，然在歐盟擁有重要經貿地位，致力推動經濟、科技、AI發展及農業轉型，並盼在面對複雜且變動迅速的國際情勢時，能夠向國際夥伴密切交流學習，並推動不同領域之合作。雖然他過去已有多次訪臺經驗，然而每一次皆有不同收穫及驚喜，未來除盼臺愛兩國情誼持續深化，也將繼續推動設立愛爾蘭駐臺代表處。
Deputy Speaker McGuinness thanked Vice President Chiang and the attending legislators for taking the time to meet with the delegation. After introducing the members of his delegation, he remarked that although Ireland is small in land area, it holds considerable economic and trade influence within the European Union. He added that Ireland is dedicated to promoting development in its economy, technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and agricultural transformation. In a complex and fast-changing international landscape, he emphasized the importance of close engagement and mutual learning among global partners, as well as the value of cross-sector cooperation. While he has visited Taiwan many times, he said each visit has brought new insights and surprises. Looking ahead, he expressed hope for even stronger ties between Taiwan and Ireland and reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for the establishment of an Irish representative office in Taiwan.
雙邊交流時，陳永康委員代表國民黨團感謝愛爾蘭對臺灣長期堅定的支持，並指出深化雙邊教育交流的重要性，他強調在複雜多變的世界局勢中更需要彼此相互學習、取長補短，未來盼兩國在教育及學生交流方面可以更加密切頻繁。陳委員另提及2021年時《經濟學人》（The Economist）雜誌曾直言臺灣為全球最危險之處，然而這些年過去，經由國際友人的關注及努力，臺海仍舊維繫和平穩定，可見透過互助合作及學習，有助強化彼此韌性，共同面對全球挑戰。
During the exchange, Legislator Chen, speaking on behalf of the KMT caucus, expressed gratitude to Ireland for its consistent and firm support for Taiwan. He stressed the importance of deepening educational exchanges between the two countries, especially in today’s dynamic and uncertain global environment, where mutual learning and complementarity are essential. He looked forward to enhanced student and academic exchange programs. Legislator Chen also referred to a 2021 article by The Economist that described Taiwan as “the most dangerous place on earth.” Yet, thanks to international attention and support, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait have been maintained, proving that mutual cooperation and shared learning can strengthen collective resilience in the face of global challenges.
王正旭委員誠摯歡迎愛爾蘭貴賓到訪，樂見兩國未來可在半導體、生醫、AI與高等教育面向相互合作，尤其愛爾蘭本（114）年5月甫發布「愛爾蘭矽島：國家半導體戰略」（Silicon Island: Ireland’s National Semiconductor Strategy），相信兩國未來可在供應鏈韌性、人才交流與AI治理領域，建立常設溝通機制，以拓展未來雙邊合作。此外，愛爾蘭在醫藥研發與製藥產業亦深具實力，與臺灣甚具互補性，兩國可建立相關合作機制，推動加速醫藥創新與產學合作。王委員另感謝麥基尼士副議長對臺灣的多年情誼，並於擔任國會友臺小組主席期間多次公開仗義執言力挺臺灣，這份彌足珍貴的夥伴關係與友誼，令人感動。
Legislator Wang warmly welcomed the Irish delegation and voiced optimism about future cooperation in areas including semiconductors, biomedical science, AI, and higher education. He highlighted Ireland’s recent launch of Silicon Island: Ireland’s National Semiconductor Strategy in May this year, noting the potential for Taiwan and Ireland to establish permanent mechanisms for cooperation in supply chain resilience, talent exchange, and AI governance. He also acknowledged Ireland’s strengths in pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing, which complement Taiwan’s own capabilities, and proposed that both sides work toward frameworks to promote medical innovation and industry-academia collaboration. Legislator Wang also extended heartfelt thanks to Deputy Speaker McGuinness for his enduring friendship with Taiwan and for consistently voicing support for Taiwan during his tenure as Chair of the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association—a valuable and deeply appreciated partnership and friendship.
陳昭姿委員表示，身為「對中政策跨國議會聯盟」（Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, IPAC）臺灣共同主席，深感臺愛兩國共享民主、自由、人權與法治等普世價值，彼此間具高度連結。IPAC的使命之一，即在於團結各國國會力量，共同對抗威權、守護民主。今日樂見訪團中有兩位IPAC愛爾蘭共同主席的到訪，使她再次感受到這份責任與使命的重要性。她並期盼，臺愛未來能在高科技、AI等領域拓展合作，也期盼雙方在國際舞台上持續深化交流與互動。
Legislator Chen, who serves as Taiwan’s Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), emphasized the strong bond between Taiwan and Ireland, which is rooted in shared values such as democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. One of IPAC’s core missions, she noted, is to unite legislators from around the world to counter authoritarianism and defend democracy. She was particularly encouraged by the presence of two Irish IPAC co-chairs in the visiting delegation, which reinforced her sense of mission and responsibility. Legislator Chen expressed hope that Taiwan and Ireland will further expand cooperation in high-tech and AI fields, and continue deepening exchanges and engagement on the international stage.
雙邊交流時，訪賓另就臺愛學術及教育交流、臺灣應對高齡化相關政策、臺愛國會友誼小組、愛爾蘭AI發展、兩國高科技合作、行政院青年顧問等議題廣泛交換意見。此次會晤歷約1小時，氣氛友好熱絡，在雙方互贈紀念品及合影後圓滿結束。
During the bilateral discussions, the two sides also exchanged views on a wide range of topics, including academic and educational exchanges between Taiwan and Ireland, policies to address the aging population, the role of the Taiwan-Ireland Parliamentary Friendship Association, Ireland’s AI development strategies, high-tech industry collaboration, and the Executive Yuan’s Youth Advisory Committee. The meeting lasted approximately one hour in a warm and friendly atmosphere. It concluded successfully with both sides exchanging commemorative gifts.
