Minister Donohoe to meet UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, in London 

14th July, 2017

 

The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, will today (Friday) meet with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond. Minister Donohoe expects to build on constructive engagements which his predecessor, Michael Noonan TD, previously had with Chancellor Hammond, including bilateral meetings on 22nd September 2016 and 9th January 2017 in London and Dublin respectively.

Maintaining the strength of the relationship between Ireland and the UK continues to be a priority for both countries, not least in the context of the economy and trade where it is clear that our concerns align with the UK objective of having a close economic and trading relationship with the EU.

Minister Donohoe and Chancellor Hammond will exchange views on a variety of issues, including Brexit, the economic outlook and the many ways in which Ireland and the UK enjoy connections. It is the expectation that regular contact with Chancellor Hammond will be maintained including on issues relating to Brexit and its potential impact on the close bilateral relationship between Ireland and the UK.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Minister Donohoe said: ‘Ireland’s membership of the EU remains central to our interests and we are keen that the future relationship between the EU and the UK is as close and positive as possible. Ireland is part of the EU 27 team for negotiations and prepared to work hard to achieve the best possible outcome for all. The Irish Government’s headline priorities remain the economy, the protection of peace in Northern Ireland, maintaining the Common Travel Area and the future of the European Union. We note the constructive beginning to negotiations and are hopeful that the cooperative approach will be maintained throughout the process’.