Tánaiste to visit Canada for St Patrick’s Day

The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD, begins a seven-day visit to Canada today (Tuesday, 12 March).

The visit coincides with the 85th anniversary of Ireland-Canada diplomatic relations and a growing focus on Canada. The Tánaiste’s broad-ranging programme includes high-level political meetings, diaspora engagement and trade promotion.

Relations between Ireland and Canada continue to strengthen following the establishment of Consulates General in Vancouver and Toronto under the Global Ireland 2025 programme. Strong Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Tourism Ireland presence in the region is supporting increased trade, educational and cultural links as well as ongoing high-level political engagement between the two countries.

Over 4.4 million Canadians claim direct Irish ancestry and Irish exports to Canada rose by more than 20% in 2023 to €4.1bn.

The Tánaiste’s programme in Vancouver includes meetings with representatives of the young Irish diaspora, engagement with State Agency clients, and local political representatives. The Tánaiste will deliver a keynote address at Ireland’s National Day reception hosted by Ireland’s Consul General.

The Montreal programme will see the Tánaiste attend and address an Ireland-Quebec business leader’s event on Thursday evening and on Friday the Tánaiste is expected to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

While in Toronto, the Tánaiste will engage with the Irish community and business leaders and will visit the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre (ICAN). The Tánaiste will also participate in the Toronto Saint Patrick's Day parade on March 17th and will open a new Ireland House in Toronto.

The Tánaiste said: “I am very much looking forward to visiting Canada. This visit will allow us to deepen our political relationships with a like-minded partner, to strengthen and extend our bilateral economic ties and to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with our dynamic Irish community across Canada. While marking 85 years of diplomatic relations, I will be taking part in events in three key cities and meeting with the Irish diaspora to hear of their experiences of life in Canada. The historic linkages between our two countries run deep and I am interested to hear the stories of those whose Irish roots are now firmly embedded in Canadian soil.

“The opportunity to meet with the agencies and their clients, to meet our new Honorary Consuls and to take part in the St Patrick’s Day parade in Toronto are sure to be highlights of the trip. So too will be my meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau. In this increasingly insecure world, the opportunity to meet with Canadian leaders, with whom we share so many perspectives and priorities, is hugely valuable.”

NOTE FOR EDITORS

The Government’s Global Ireland strategy commits to doubling the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint by 2025. It reflects the Government’s determination to ensure that Ireland can effectively advance its strategic interests on the international stage. As part of its goal of expanding Ireland’s diplomatic network around the world, the strategy commits to creating a number of ‘Ireland Houses’ or co-located facilities for all government departments and agencies involved in Team Ireland.

Building a mutually beneficial two-way economic relationship is a key priority in Ireland’s relations with Canada. Canada is a significant economic partner for Ireland and total bilateral trade (goods and services) in 2022 was almost CA$15 billion (€9.9 billion). It is estimated that there are approximately 75 Canadian companies with a presence in Ireland employing over 15,000 people. Over 400 Irish companies have a presence in Canada, employing around 6,000 people.

ENDS

Press Office

12 March 2024