Helen McEntee
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
In the months since November, when I became Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, I have been struck by how significant and mutually beneficial the Ireland-U.S. economic relationship is, on both sides of the Atlantic. The U.S. is Ireland’s largest trading and investment partner, and Ireland is now the fifth largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the U.S., with investments by Irish companies totalling $390 billion.
I am very proud of the fact that Irish companies, from global multinationals to SMEs, are investing and helping the U.S. to build for the future. The most recent statistics indicate that Irish investment in the U.S. increased by 20% in 2024, placing Ireland as the second largest EU source of FDI in the U.S. after Germany.
I am equally encouraged by the contribution that U.S. companies are making to Ireland’s innovation ecosystem. In return, they have
access to the European Single Market and programmes such as Horizon, a world-class talent pool and an environment that is stable, agile and conducive to reaching global potential.
Growing a dynamic relationship requires cultivation. Ireland’s diplomatic network, working closely with the Irish States Agencies located across the major U.S. economic hubs, plays a central role in facilitating this progress. A key aim of this government is to maximise the reach of Team Ireland as a platform to promote Irish interests in the U.S., at federal, state and city levels.
As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I am committed to utilising Ireland’s position as a transatlantic bridge between the EU and U.S., to maintain an open global trading and investment environment.
As Team Ireland, we will work to strengthen and deepen EU-U.S. cooperation during our EU Presidency this year. There is much to collaborate on, not least on trade, digital policy, cyber, and justice and home affairs. We will promote new channels for engagement on areas of shared priority and drive the competitiveness and simplification agendas.
This year the United States celebrates and commemorates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Three signatories of that historic document were born on the island of Ireland, and many more were of Irish descent, reflecting the rich people-to-people connections we share.
Engaging in America250 is a means by which Ireland can be part of the U.S.-wide commemoration of a formative event in American history. This includes marking the significant contribution of the Scots-Irish to this period. I am looking forward to reflecting on the relationship we have built, and the opportunities to come.