Martin Daly urges US panel to bolster Ireland-US economic ties

Given perhaps the reduced access to the highest levels of the US administration and that international forces may well be working against us in the US because of our stance on human rights in relation to Gaza and Palestine and the commencement of a trade war by the President of the United States against the European Union, his administration, I should say, I want to ask the Tornish Minister of Foreign Affairs to be reporting his plans for the establishment of a new US-based body that was specifically tasked with further strengthening US-Irish relationships. I realise that you gave a comprehensive answer to Deputy Ghibli. I just want to know if you have anything to add to that, and I thank you. Thank you, Geoffrey. I will endeavour to give an equally comprehensive answer to you, but I want to thank you for highlighting this issue, because truthfully we cannot be talking about this enough. As I said earlier, but I passionately believe it, the relationship between the United States and Ireland is mutually beneficial. Of course, it is a deep relationship with many ties, interpersonal, cultural, historical, but it is also an economically really important relationship. And I think as we engage with the new Trump administration, we need to be making the point that it is a two-way relationship. There is about 115,000 people who got out of bed in the United States this morning and went to work in Irish-owned companies, the top ten Irish-owned companies in every single one of the 50 states of the United States. It is a relationship worth hundreds of millions of euro in terms of investment by those companies alone to the US. And of course, this country benefits massively from US companies who have found a home here and I believe see the benefits locating here, not just for access to Ireland and our talented workforce, but also the access that we provide them to the European Union. So we cannot be alarmist or facialistic about what happens in other countries. We have to look at how we can engage in a constructive way. And I think when you live in an economy that is open, that is highly globalised and therefore is more sensitive to shifts in the global trading environment, it is really important that we try to maintain a strategic focus on maintaining competitiveness, especially at a time when we are seeing increased protectionism and geostrategic considerations shaping policy on international trade. That is why we took a decision in government, or two decisions last week in government, one to establish a consultative group on international trade policy here in Ireland, which I will share, which will bring together all relevant government departments, but also stakeholders, including in the business community. And then alongside that, establish that US-based strategic economic advisory panel. This panel will bring together a small number of very senior US-based business people. What they will do is provide their analysis and their perspectives to government as we navigate a complex global economic environment. They can also assist us in ensuring that our message on what I have described as a mutually beneficial economic relationship is well understood and well communicated.