16 June 2013
Dublin, Ireland
Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered the following remarks in Dublin, Ireland
“Thank you, Taoiseach Kenny for that warm welcome.
“I want to say we’ve really all enjoyed, myself, my entire delegation, the very warm Irish welcome we’ve received and I have to tell you what a delight it’s been to stay here at Farmleigh. I had no idea. This is just a fantastic residence. The statehouse, I got a tour of the building and the grounds, and it’s really just a tremendous opportunity for all of us to be welcomed here.
“As the Prime Minister mentioned, this is my first visit to Ireland as Prime Minister and I am truly delighted to be here.
“What a beautiful country.
“It is little wonder that more than 100,000 Canadians come and visit here every single year.
“Of course, Canada’s relationship with Ireland is both historic and is intimate.
“As the Prime Minister mentioned, there are literally millions of Canadians with ancestral links to Ireland, including in my own family.
“In fact, I am told that one in seven Canadians reports at least some Irish ancestry.
“That’s roughly equivalent to the population of the Republic of Ireland.
“One of Canada’s most prominent Fathers of Confederation was D’Arcy McGee, a son of Ireland.
“And of course with me today are Irish Canadians, our Ambassador, Loyola Hearn, and Canada’s Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, both of whom are very proud of their Irish roots.
“In fact, Jim was here last June, to mark the launch of the Centre of Study of Irish Economic Policy at the National University of Ireland in Galway.
“Canada and Ireland have, in fact, a strong and growing relationship.
“In 2012, for example, our two-way trade in merchandise was worth more than
one-and-a-half billion dollars, and Canadians are strong believers in Ireland’s economic future, with direct investment here reaching almost sixteen-billion dollars in 2012 and continuing to grow.
“That makes this country the seventh-largest recipient of Canadian direct investment anywhere in the world today.
“Speaking of trade, Ireland, of course, would also benefit from a free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union.
“I note that this year is the 40th anniversary of Ireland’s membership in the EU.
“And a deal, of course, between the EU and Canada, it is predicted, would grow our trade by some twenty percent.
“Prime Minister, I look forward to working with you as we move forward. You know, we all know in Canada, we all see the news and know that Ireland’s had some tough go lately, some tough times, so we are truly big believers in the progress that this country has made and will continue to make in the future. So I look forward to pursuing our mutual goals and to strengthening what is already a very deep relationship between our two great countries.
“Thank you.”
