Minister of State Paul Kehoe visited the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, in Birmingham, today, to engage with business leaders and the Irish community ahead of the EU referendum vote on the 23rd June. 

Minister Kehoe emphasised that the importance and scale of the two way trade between the UK and Ireland, which stands at around €1.2bn per week. The Minister also highlighted the fact that trade sustains approximately 200,000 jobs on each side of the Irish Sea.

Minister Kehoe highlighted Irish interests in the EU referendum: “As the UK’s closest neighbour, Ireland has a unique perspective and interest in the outcome of the referendum. The Irish Government fully respects that, first and foremost, this is a decision for UK voters to make on the 23rd June but the Irish Government want the UK, as its closest neighbour and partner, to remain a member of a reformed EU.”

He added; “We are convinced that no alternative arrangement will be better than the one we currently have: a single market and seamless flows of goods, services, capital and people.”

Irish Ministers are reaching out to Irish citizens living and working in the UK who are eligible to vote and encouraging them to exercise that right.

Minister Kehoe is amongst several Irish politicians that have gone on record to support ‘Remain’ voters ahead of the EU referendum vote on the 23rd June.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking at the Bloomberg ‘Conference on the Implications of Brexit for Ireland’ earlier this month made his position clear on the matter; “First of all, I want to clearly acknowledge that the UK’s decision on EU membership is, of course, solely a matter for UK voters. That said, I think it is fairly widely accepted that as the UK’s closest neighbour, Ireland has a unique perspective and interest in the outcome of the referendum. It is our sincere hope that the UK will decide to stay and work with us for a better, more effective European Union.”

Source: www.businessworld.ie