Owen Paterson – 2010 Comments on Visit to the United States

The comments made by Owen Paterson, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 1 October 2010.

Wherever I went the same message was coming through loud and clear. The US is fully behind our efforts to work with the devolved administration to help Northern Ireland continue to progress towards long term political stability and economic growth.

It was particularly encouraging to hear that those who try to thwart that progress will gain absolutely no traction in the United States.

And support for Northern Ireland is not only in the form of warm words.

Congressman Richie Neal assured me that he is confident that the US Congress will shortly vote through a further $15m a year for the next three years for the International Fund for Ireland which enables bodies like Co-Operation Ireland to do immensely valuable work in Northern Ireland.