Taoiseach Travels to New York

The Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny TD, will travel to the United States later today for a series of engagements in New York.

The Taoiseach’s visit has a number of objectives:

• to mark the very close ties between Ireland and the US
• to meet with representatives of the Irish American community in New York
• to meet with business leaders, opinion formers and the media
• to tell people in the US that Ireland has a new government with a strong majority to tackle our serious problems
• to give a very clear message that Ireland is open for business

The Taoiseach’s programme includes meetings with key business leaders on Wall Street, engagements with Irish companies who are doing business in the US and a public roundtable at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Tonight, he will meet members of the Irish community in New York and leaders of a number of Irish-American social, cultural and sporting organisations.

Tomorrow, his programme closes with a keynote address at the American Ireland 36th New York Dinner Gala at the Lincoln Center.

The Taoiseach visit was planned before the recent killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Commenting before his departure, the Taoiseach said:

While I intend to bring a positive message about Ireland to New York, I am also very mindful that this is a very poignant moment to visit and a very emotional time for her citizens as the terrible memories of September 11th 2001 are re-awakened. During my visit I will be reflecting on those terrible losses on 9/11, including those Irish people and members of the Irish American community who were lost on that day.