Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Since becoming Minister for Finance, I have engaged with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt on a number of occasions; the first being a visit to London just a few weeks following my appointment. These engagements provide an excellent opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest, including the economic and fiscal outlook at national, regional and global levels; as well as opportunities and challenges which we face.

These engagements are complemented by engagement by officials in my Department and their counterparts at HM Treasury, which takes places on a regular basis and at various levels up to the most senior management figures.

This ensures open channels and strong relationships to facilitate cooperation. Overall, there is an excellent bilateral relationship between my Department and HM Treasury, which reflects the deep and wide-ranging bilateral relationship with the UK. I look forward to further opportunities to engage with Chancellor Hunt, to build on the long-standing cooperation between our countries and economies.