Minister Donohoe travels to Frankfurt and Berlin for St Patrick’s Day programme

The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, is this afternoon (Tuesday) travelling from Brussels to Frankfurt to commence his official visit to Germany.

In Frankfurt, the Minister, who is also President of The Eurogroup, will have meetings with the President of the European Central Bank, Ms Christine Lagarde, and other senior figures. He will also have a number of engagements in support of the work of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. This evening, he will join the State Secretary for Europe in the Government of Hesse, Ms Karin Mueller, at a St Patrick’s Day reception hosted by Ireland’s Consul General in Frankfurt, Anne-Marie Flynn.

Minister Donohoe will proceed to Berlin where tomorrow (Wednesday) he will meet with Jörg Kukies, Minister for Finance in the German government. He will also have a number of other political and official contacts in Berlin, including at the Bundestag (the federal parliament). He will give a keynote address at the Hertie School of Government, entitled “Navigating Europe’s challenges”. He will also support Irish state agencies’ work and address two receptions hosted by Ireland’s Ambassador, Maeve Collins; one for official contacts and the other for the Irish community.

Throughout the week, the Minister will also undertake a number of engagements involving German, Irish and international media.

Ahead of his visit, Minister Donohoe said:

“As Minister for Finance and also as President of the Eurogroup, I very much look forward to my series of engagements in Frankfurt and Berlin. Germany plays a central role on the European and the global stage – a role that is all the more important as we navigate this period of change and uncertainty.

“The modern Irish-German relationship is one of business, culture, sport and above all friendship – it is no surprise then that Germany is our third-largest trading partner in the world and our third largest tourism market. St Patrick’s Day, and the programmes of engagement that are built around it, presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase Ireland and to further deepen links with our counterparts and countries around the world. I look forward to my week ahead in Frankfurt and Berlin and to connecting with the German people, and our Irish community abroad, as we mark this special period in our calendar.”

Notes

Germany is Ireland’s third largest trading partner and our largest trading partner in the European Union. We are both strong export-driven economies and investment between our countries is thriving. Two-way trade between the countries has more than doubled over the last decade and now stands at over €60 billion.

Almost 20,000 Irish people live in Germany, and over 15,000 people born in Germany have made Ireland their home. Irish people have brought their culture with them with 12 GAA Clubs throughout Germany as well as a number of Irish language groups throughout the country.

Germany is Ireland’s third largest tourism market globally with over 315,000 German tourists coming to Ireland during the summer season in 2023, reflecting the deep curiosity and warmth towards Ireland amongst German people.