Ministers confirm US St Patrick’s programme

Date published: 4 March 2020

Ministers will attend a series of events in Washington DC, including hosting the NI Bureau breakfast event; attending the White House reception and the Speaker’s Lunch event and a meeting with the Vice President Mike Pence.

First Minister Rt Hon Arlene Foster said: “As an Executive, we are all committed to strengthening our relationship with the US and showing off Northern Ireland to an international audience as a great place to do business.

“While there have been some necessary adjustments to our itinerary as we support efforts to ensure the containment of the coronavirus, we still have a packed programme of high level engagements in Washington with business and political leaders. We are looking forward to the opportunity to highlight the benefits of living, working and visiting here as part of our drive to secure inward investment and grow the economy.”

The deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “We have taken a necessary decision that balances our immediate responsibilities in terms of protecting public health and also our efforts to attract inward investment and grow the economy. Our programme in the US will include a number of high level engagements with political leaders at the White House and Capitol Hill and addressing key contacts at the Bureau’s flagship event.

“Our decision to join critical civil contingencies meetings requires us to remain in Belfast.

“We will continue to work closely with ministers and health professionals to support their efforts to contain the virus here. Preventing the spread of the virus is the best way to protect people and everyone should continue to follow public health advice from the medical professionals to help keep themselves and others safe.”

The First Minister and deputy First Minister will continue to actively support ministerial colleagues and health professionals in their work to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, including participation in critical civil contingencies meetings.

Both ministers had initially planned to travel to New York at the start of the week for a series of meetings with business and tourism leaders. Those engagements will still happen and the Executive will be represented by Economy Minister Diane Dodds.