Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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88. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his recent trip to the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22926/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I travelled to the United States from 27 - 29 April for engagements in Washington, D.C. and Boston.

In Washington D.C., I participated in a public discussion at the German Marshall Fund on Ireland’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as Ireland’s unique position within the transatlantic relationship. I underscored the need for strong international cooperation in support of the international rules based order, now more than ever. 

My engagements with senior officials from President Biden’s administration, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, as well as my meetings on Capitol Hill, were valuable opportunities to discuss priority issues, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland, Brexit, immigration, and foreign policy issues such as Ukraine, the JCPOA, and Syria. 

On Northern Ireland, it was clear to me in my discussions that this remains a priority on a bipartisan basis across the political system in the US. The role of the US Special Envoy to NI has been greatly valued by the Irish government over many years, and the appointment of a new Envoy was something I emphasized in my exchanges.  

I was also pleased to visit Boston, a city with a large and historic Irish-American population. I participated in a number of engagements including at the JFK Presidential Library, Harvard University, and Boston College, where I discussed developments in NI, Ukraine, and the EU-US relationship, and met with the local Irish community.

My meetings with Governor Baker and members of the Massachusetts State House were a great opportunity to reaffirm Ireland’s strong historic, political and economic links with Massachusetts and to explore how we might strengthen them further.