PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister Keir Starmer to visit Dublin in historic moment for UK-Ireland relations [September 2024]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 September 2024.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Dublin today [7 September 2024] to meet the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, in his first official visit to Ireland.
- Keir Starmer is the first British Prime Minister to visit Ireland in 5 years
- Prime Minister to continue the charge to boost the UK’s economic growth, his key mission for government, by resetting our relationship with another key international partner
- Visit marks a new era of co-operation and friendship between Britain and Ireland
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Dublin today to meet the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, in his first official visit to Ireland.
Continuing his drive to reset the UK’s relationships with its key international partners and deliver for hard-working British people, he will welcome a new era in the British-Irish relationship and highlight the opportunity it presents to drive forward economic growth.
Ireland is one of the UK’s top trading partners and the trading relationship is worth 100 billion euros a year – supporting thousands of jobs for British and Irish people.
Boosting growth is the Prime Minister’s key mission of government, and the visit is another example of his personal commitment to drive up the UK’s standing in the world in order to attract investment to the UK and create more jobs for British people.
The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach will also meet Irish business leaders from companies including Accenture, Keelings and Primark today, to encourage enhanced bilateral trade and investment in pursuit of growth.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
The UK and Ireland share the strongest of ties – through our close geography, shared culture and the friendships of our people.
Our relationship has never reached its full potential, but I want to change that. We have a clear opportunity to go further and faster to make sure our partnership is fully delivering on behalf of the British and Irish people – driving growth and prosperity in both our countries.
The Taoiseach and I are in lockstep about our future, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration further.
The Taoiseach was the first international leader hosted by the Prime Minister in the UK following the July election – demonstrating the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to a strong UK-Ireland relationship.
Today’s visit comes after the Prime Minister’s visit to Berlin and Paris last week to continue the UK’s reset with its key European partners.
The leaders will attend the Republic of Ireland vs England Nations’ League football match on Saturday evening.
Hilary O’Meara, Country Managing Director of Accenture in Ireland said:
Accenture is delighted to be invited, alongside other business leaders in Ireland, to join UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Taoiseach, Simon Harris to discuss mutual business opportunity across our two countries.
It is encouraging to see the Prime Minister travel to Ireland so early in his premiership to join us for what promises to a great sporting occasion.
