Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:99. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach to report on the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Ireland in June 2026. [48556/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 15 July 2026
Ceisteanna (99)
Freagraí scríofa
The Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, paid an official visit to Ireland on 13 and 14 June. He was accompanied on the visit, which reflected the depth and warmth of the relationship between our two nations, by his wife Madame Diana Fox Carney.
As the House is aware, Prime Minister Carney has a close personal relationship with this country, his grandparents having emigrated to Canada in the 1920s.
I had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister on 13 June at which we reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between Ireland and Canada. We agreed a Strategic Economic Partnership between Ireland and Canada which will deepen co-operation across a range of sectors including trade and investment, life sciences, food, climate, education and culture.
We discussed the success of the trade agreement between the EU and Canada – CETA – which has already delivered significant benefits to both sides, including to Ireland. The Prime Minister expressed his wish to build a closer relationship between Canada and the EU. I assured him of my strong support for such a goal and said that Ireland would seek to advance it in our work as EU Presidency.
We also discussed wider international matters, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the shifting global trade landscape, and Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
That evening, I hosted a dinner in Dublin Castle, to welcome the Prime Minister and to celebrate his visit. In my remarks, I highlighted the historic and enduring bonds between Ireland and Canada — a sentiment warmly echoed in the Prime Minister's own address. The evening closed with a programme of entertainment celebrating Canadian and Irish talent, a fitting tribute to the shared heritage of both nations.
The Prime Minister had a programme in Mayo on Sunday, 14 June, to explore and celebrate his connections to that county. I joined him at a Mass in Aghagower, the place from which his grandparents emigrated and therefore of deep personal significance to his family's heritage. He was also offered a Civic Reception in his honour hosted by Mayo County Council in Westport.
Ireland’s relationship with Canada has always been strong. It has been strengthened in recent years by an increasingly vibrant economic relationship with trade between our countries having grown significantly since the entry into force of CETA.
The Prime Minister and I are both strongly committed to seeing that relationship grow further in the years to come.