Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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486. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will report on his visit to Atlanta and Savannah in the United States of America for St. Patrick's Day; the meetings he attended, the issues that were discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13399/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations provide a unique and special moment to connect with the 70 million people around the world of Irish descent and to showcase Irish culture and heritage. It is also an opportunity to celebrate Ireland’s international connections and partnerships, which enrich both Ireland and our partners overseas.

This year 38 representatives of the State, led by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, travelled to 42 countries, and more than 90 cities promoting Ireland as a great place to visit, work, study, and invest.

Deepening Ireland’s political, cultural, economic and trade relationship with the United States remains a key priority for the Government. The Government’s Saint Patrick’s Day programme placed a significant focus on the U.S. for this reason.

It was my privilege to represent the Government in Atlanta and Savannah in the US State of Georgia as part of the Saint Patrick’s Day programme. My programme took place over six days across two cities, and was based around a series cultural, community, economic and political engagements, designed to highlight the strong connections between Ireland and the US Southeast.

Highlights included opening the new Enterprise Ireland office in Atlanta, addressing the Georgia State House of Representatives and Senate, and representing the government in the Atlanta and Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parades.

I had a number of productive engagements during my visit, including a bilateral meeting with Georgia Commissioner for Community Affairs Chris Nunn, who shared his experience in disaster recovery following extreme weather events and the approach to rural development in Georgia. I had meetings the with Coca-Cola leadership, and met with the Mayors of Atlanta and Savannah, US Senator Raphael Warnock, Jason Carter and US Congressman Buddy Carter. I also had the opportunity to spend time with the Irish community in the state, which is youthful, vibrant and growing. During the visit, I also had business meetings at the Metro Atlanta Chamber and met with a number of Enterprise Ireland clients and more established Irish businesses in the region, including CRH.

I was particularly pleased to open the new Enterprise Ireland office in the Southeast during my trip. This marks an exciting new chapter for Enterprise Ireland and for the many Irish companies that are investing and creating jobs in this region. The EI office will be a gateway for Irish companies to tap into one of the fastest-growing economic regions in the U.S. and it was clear from my discussions that the opening of the new office was warmly welcomed by state and local government and by the business community.

I received a sincere welcome from our key contacts throughout the state, all of whom were interested to discuss the growing two-way economic relationship between Ireland and the Southeast region and to discuss ways to expand on this and on the network of partnerships that already exist between us. I look forward to the opportunity to build upon the connections made in the coming weeks and months.