From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
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The Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, will today (Tuesday) travel to Germany for a series of engagements in Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin to mark St Patrick’s Day throughout the week.
Minister Donohoe said:
"I am delighted to be travelling to Germany to mark St Patrick’s Day. Germany is one of Ireland’s closest friends and among our largest trading partners globally. I look forward to spending the coming days here discussing shared interests and challenges with high-level political and economic contacts as well as, of course, meeting with the Irish community and friends of Ireland to celebrate our national day."
In Frankfurt, the Minister, who is President of the Eurogroup, will have meetings with the President of the European Central Bank, Ms Christine Lagarde and the State Secretary for Europe in the Government of Hesse, Mr Uwe Becker, followed by a St Patrick’s Day reception hosted by Ireland’s Consul General in Frankfurt, Anne-Marie Flynn.
Minister Donohoe will also visit the Frankfurt European School where he will meet with students to mark Ireland’s Presidency of the European Schools’ System, followed by a business lunch with representatives of Frankfurt’s banking sector.
In Cologne, the Minister will attend a St Patrick’s Day reception and dinner hosted by Ireland’s Honorary Consul General in Cologne, Brigitte Wagner-Halswick.
In Berlin, he will meet with Jörg Kukies, State Secretary in the German Chancellery, before providing a keynote address at an event in the Bertelsmann Foundation titled ‘Off Course or On Track? The European Union Amidst Major Economic Challenges’.
Minister Donohoe will also meet with German Minister for Finance, Christian Lindner, as well as the Chair of the German Parliamentary Finance Committee. The Minister will participate in two separate receptions hosted by Ireland’s Ambassador, Dr Nicholas O’Brien; one for official contacts and the other for the Irish community.
Throughout the week, the Minister will also undertake a number of media engagements including a television interview with the German State’s international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle.
This year, St Patrick’s Day will mark ‘100 Years of Ireland in the World’, a century of our country’s engagement as an active member of the international community in the promotion of democracy, peace and security.
On its 25th anniversary, Ireland reiterates our support for consolidating the achievements of the Good Friday Agreement. It is a priority for the government to protect and restore the power-sharing institutions of the GFA after over a year’s absence.
On St Patrick's Day, we emphasise the importance and value of our membership of the European Union on the 50th anniversary of our accession to the European Communities.
Re-affirm Ireland’s steadfast commitment to the people of Ukraine offering support to those fleeing the conflict and working at the UN and EU to condemn Russia’s actions and impose sanctions in response to its aggression.
Connect with Irish communities overseas and emphasise the importance of our Diaspora.
Build further on relationships with key political leaders, business leaders, decision makers, influencers and stakeholders across the world.
Celebrate Ireland’s contemporary and traditional arts, culture and heritage.
Through the government’s Global Ireland Strategy, Ireland is aiming significantly to increase impact and influence in the world and has announced the opening of 22 new Missions since 2018, along with publishing five Global Ireland Regional Strategies which detail plans to promote Ireland as a good country to live in, trade with, invest in, study in and visit.
The focus of the Global Ireland is to promote Ireland in an integrated ‘all of government’ way as a great place to live, visit, work, invest in, trade with, and study.
We also celebrate the uniqueness of Irish culture and the global impact of Irish creative industries, so evident this year in the record number of Oscar nominations for Irish films.