New Cavan Minister sent abroad for St Patrick’s Day
Newly appointed Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Niamh Smyth, will visit Finland and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to promote Ireland and Irish interests this coming St Patrick’s Day.
This year, 38 State representatives will visit more than 90 cities in 40 countries around the world on March 17, with the overall goal to emphasise Ireland’s attractiveness as a small, open trading economy, willing to build partnerships.
The Cavan-Monaghan TD, whose portfolio at the Department of Enterprise includes responsibility for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, will arrive into the Finnish capital of Helsinki first.
Finland has been a close friend to Ireland and trusted partner to the Northern Ireland peace process, and there have been ever-growing trade links between the two countries, estimated at being close to €3 billion annually in recent years.
Following that she will attend events in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Meanwhile, a delegation from Cavan County Council, led by Cathaoirleach Cllr TP O’Reilly and Chief Executive Eoin Doyle, will travel to New York on Thursday, March 13, to engage with the Cavan Diaspora and to also promote the county’s business, tourism and cultural interests.
During their visit to the ‘Big Apple’, the local representatives will meet with officials from Enterprise Ireland and other business and tourism interests “as part of the process” of developing a new Enterprise Strategy for Cavan, said a council spokesperson.
“The delegation will also meet with the Cavan Emergency Services delegation during the course of the visit, which will conclude with the group joining the Cavan P&B Association in marching down Fifth Avenue in the New York St Patrick’s Day Parade.”
Like in 2022, several dozen members from Cavan County Fire Service, National Ambulance Service and An Garda Siochàna, will travel to the US following an invite from the Cavan P&B Association of NYC.
As before the frontline workers will participate in the parade in uniform.
The invite to take part was extended to colleagues unable to travel out on the previous trip due to Covid restrictions and rostering.