Ireland needs to “launch an all-out diplomatic and trade offensive” in the United States to respond to the potential fallout from Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.
Irish Government Ministers have already been warned about the potential impact of Mr Trump’s tax and trade policies, which could hit investment, jobs and corporate tax receipts. His stated goal is to bring US investment back to the United States and, as the location for the international headquarters of many big US companies, Ireland would be exposed if this happens.
Mr Trump’s inauguration takes place on January 20th.
Writing in today’s edition of The Irish Times, Mr Harris outlines how Mr Trump will be back in the Oval Office after a “comprehensive” election victory and a “strengthened” mandate including control of both the US House of Representatives and the Senate. He says Mr Trump will use this “to fulfil his election promises, including promises that may affect Ireland, such as the lowering of business taxes stateside”.
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The Fine Gael leader also highlights “the possibility of an international trade shock through tariffs” and how “a small, open economy like ours would be susceptible to the fallout”.
“Ireland has no time to waste” and it will not be enough to wait until the annual St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House, he adds.
“The new Irish government needs to launch an all-out diplomatic and trade offensive in the United States from late January onwards,” Mr Harris writes.
Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is likely to assume the role of taoiseach if his party and Fine Gael can reach a coalition deal, mostly likely with the support of members of the Regional Group of Independents.
Mr Harris and Mr Martin have previously expressed their hope a new government can be formed here before Mr Trump returns to office.
However, sources in both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have expressed doubts about whether the government formation process can be completed in time for the next meeting of the Dáil on January 22nd. This is because both parties will need to go through a process of ratifying any deal in accordance with their own internal rules.
Writing in The Irish Times, Mr Harris says he spoke to Mr Trump in November and “his attitude towards Ireland and the US-Ireland relationship was notably warm and informed”.
He also says the “chess pieces for an Irish diplomatic and trade offensive are already on the board” between Ireland’s Embassy team in Washington DC and the network of consulates across the US.
The “vast networks” in the US of agencies like IDA Ireland and Tourism Ireland “must again be worked to maximum effect”, he adds.
Mr Harris says Ireland was a “top-10 investor” in the US and about 500 Irish companies alone employ 100,000 people there and “this is the story we need to tell Mr Trump’s new team”.
The Taoiseach also outlines how he had proposed to the European Council that Mr Trump be invited to a US-EU summit.
“That may happen in the coming year at some point, but Ireland should make it our ambition to host the US president in Ireland at such a summit during our presidency of the EU in 2026,” he says.
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