Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I rise to concur with Senators Daly and Bacik in wishing the best of luck to the Taoiseach in his visit to the White House on Monday. As the House is aware, the EU decided this week to open formal negotiations with the member states on the EU-US free trade deal. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, has welcomed that. Commissioner Karel De Gucht will be in charge of the negotiations from the European side. A deal would be worth ¤86 billion to the European economy. In his State of the Union address, President Obama has also referred to the importance of a deal to him. As a great friend of the United States and as President of Europe, the Taoiseach can play a key role.

We also have an important trade element in that there is newspaper speculation that the President and the Taoiseach will refer to the ¤18 billion order for new aircraft by Ryanair of 200 new aeroplanes from Boeing. We will be in the United States as a major trading partner of the United States. The Ryanair success is built on the Southwest Airlines model founded by Herb Kelleher from Kanturk in County Cork. Our trading links are significant. The Taoiseach will not be just in the White House for sentimental reasons. He will visit a building which has an Irish architect, James Hoban. I hope the discussions between the President and the Taoiseach will focus on the architecture of economic recovery and the need to bring down the high level of unemployment in Europe and the United States. I ask the Leader to extend the best wishes of the House to President Obama and the Taoiseach for the success of their Monday meeting.