Martin Daly praises Taoiseach's US visit and urges EU tech push
Martin Daly welcomes the Taoiseach's visit to the United States, praising his defence of Irish interests, strong US-Ireland economic ties and affirmation of European Union values. Daly highlights large bilateral investment flows, the need for EU-led technology development and the success of Irish SMEs in the US.
Key praise and figures
Martin Daly commends the Taoiseach for representing Ireland's interests in the United States and for rebutting claims that Europe is being overrun by migrants. He cites Ireland as the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment in the US, notes close to $390 billion invested by Irish firms and 200,000 people directly employed in the American economy, and recalls the $476 billion in FDI coming from the United States to Ireland.
Defence of European values
Daly emphasises the Taoiseach's defence of European Union values and the European lived experience, praising multiculturalism, diversity and freedom of speech. He also notes the Taoiseach's defence of Keir Starmer and the role of renewed relations after difficult Brexit-EU negotiations.
Technology and competitiveness
The speech calls for the EU to develop indigenous technologies in areas such as AI, social media and pharmaceuticals to boost research, self-reliance and resilience. Daly underlines that Irish SMEs engaging and scaling up in the United States are creating jobs and delivering exports, and that economic engagement must be taken seriously in policy debates.
Political context and consequences
Daly criticises those who dismiss the importance of the US relationship or use political differences to ignore its consequences for Irish workers and companies. He frames the Taoiseach's visit as an opportunity to reaffirm transatlantic economic partnerships and to champion Europe as a positive place to live and work.
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Taoiseach, I welcome your visit to the United States. You represented Ireland's interest extremely well. You reminded America that it is a two-way street in terms of economic collaboration, with Ireland the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, investing close to $390 billion in the American economy, with 200,000 people directly employed there, and the $476 billion in FDI coming from the United States. You defended European Union and European values, and you countered the false narrative that Europe was being overrun by migrants. You won respect for your defence of Keir Starmer, who has done so much to restore Ireland relations after a very difficult Brexit-EU negotiation process. And in saying all of that, you did also identify the fact that European Union needs to develop indigenous new technologies, such as AI, social media, pharma, and increase competitiveness to enable research and growth to develop self-reliance and resilience. Deputy Martin Daly, thank you for your affirmative comments in respect to my visit to the United States. The economic relationship, I think you outlined it well, is enormous, and sometimes it almost amuses me the degree to which it's just simply dismissed by certain deputies in the House as something of no value, that shouldn't feature at all in our consideration of what we do on occasions like March the 17th every year. You know, thumbing your nose at people and ignoring the various elected people in office on the basis of their politics, but then not even taking on board the damage and the consequences for Irish people, I think is another form of irresponsibility. And I appreciate the comments that you've made, and I think it's also important, we did use the occasion, as you said, to affirm Europe and European values, and the European lived experience, which some in the United States continue to decry, but Europe is actually a good place to live in, and a very positive place in terms of diversity and in terms of multiculturalism and in terms of freedom of speech, and we should never be afraid to champion the positives of what Europe has to offer. And then on our own side, in our own companies, SMEs are doing well in the United States, those who engage, who scale up in the United States are doing particularly well, and a lot of our companies are exporting and creating jobs in the United States. Thank you.
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