The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, will travel today (Tuesday) to London to begin his official visit for St Patrick’s Day 2019.
St. Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity to promote Ireland around the world, to renew our connections with the global Irish family, and to celebrate our cultural heritage.
The Minister travels to London at a key moment in the Brexit process, and his visit will emphasise the breadth and depth of relations with the United Kingdom. The Minister will meet with senior UK figures, including Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England. Discussions will focus on our economic relationship with the UK, including in a post-Brexit context.
Minister Donohoe will also attend a number of Irish community-related events, including at the Irish Community Centre in Cricklewood, and will recognise the wide range of contributions made by the Irish Community in Britain.
There is a strong business focus to the programme, in support of Irish business exporting to and investing in the UK. The Minister will also undertake a programme of trade promotion engagements, including with IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland, and in the City of London.
In a wide ranging address at Bloomberg on Friday, Minister Donohoe will speak about Ireland, Brexit, relations with the United Kingdom, and Ireland’s place in Europe and the world.
As part of this year’s celebrations, the Irish Naval Service vessel LÉ James Joyce is visiting London and the Minister will view a contingent of the crew taking part in the London St Patrick’s Day parade.
The 2019 programme of Ministerial visits also reflects Ireland’s expanding diplomatic and state agency presence around the world, as part of the Global Ireland initiative. Minister Donohoe will visit Cardiff, where Ireland will re-open a Consulate in 2019 as part of this initiative, and meet with the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford.
Speaking in advance of his visit, the Minister said: ‘The main objective of my visit to London and Cardiff is to underline the importance of the relationship with our nearest neighbours at this key moment in the Brexit process, and to celebrate the contribution of the Irish community in Britain’.
“Despite the challenges that Brexit will bring, I look forward to seeing this important relationship grow and diversify in the years ahead.”
ENDS