Speech by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the Irish Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta

It is difficult to sum up the extent of his contribution to Ireland and people of Irish descent here in the US.  

In Ireland today, there are thousands of families with a breadwinner because Don Keough recognised opportunities for Coca-Cola in towns like Ballina, Athy, Drogheda and Wexford.

In the US and around the world, there are thousands of students and young people who feel a love for Ireland — for our poetry, our literature, our music, our heritage — because of Don and Mickie’s generosity in establishing the Keough-Naughton Institute of Irish Studies at Notre Dame.

And as we continued the work to secure economic recovery, Don’s advice was a source of great reassurance and strength.

Our thoughts are with Mickie and all the family over these weeks.

The best tribute we can pay Don is to build the strongest relationship that we can between Ireland and the great city of Atlanta – in business, in education and in culture.  

We have some tremendous links already through companies like Coca-Cola, Delta, UPS and Oldcastle.

For Ireland, the timing is right to build new links, and through our Consulate and our IDA Ireland office here in Atlanta, we’re very well placed to do so.  

During the recent economic crisis the Irish people gave a clear mandate to a new government – to fix the public finances and get our country working again.

Today, thanks to the sacrifices of the Irish people and the decisions taken by Government I can say with confidence that the economic recovery has taken hold. The evidence is now clear.

We are enjoying strong economic growth.  The European Commission forecasts that Ireland will have the fastest growth rate in the EU in 2015 for the second year running.

We had double-digit export growth in the first three quarters of 2014 and exports of Irish-owned companies reached a record high of over €18 billion last year.

Investment is also up, growing more than 14% last year with strong signals of confidence across the business sector, suggesting this strong growth is set to continue.

Positive trends in our tourism statistics, in retail sales, in consumer sentiment, all point to renewed confidence in both the business sector and amongst the general public.

Government borrowing is falling rapidly, from a peak of €22 billion in 2011 to around €5 billion this year – and we are on track to reduce the deficit to well below 3% of GDP this year.

Of course, struggling families in Ireland have little concern for GDP growth rates, bond yields, or Government deficits. What matters are jobs and their impact on people’s lives and family finances.

There is also steady progress to report on this front.

Unemployment has come down now to 10% from 15%.  

Since the Government launched its Action Plan for Jobs in early 2012, Irish businesses have added almost 90,000 jobs to the economy– just 10,000 short of the target the Government set itself for 2016.

Encouragingly, we are seeing significant reductions in the number of long-term unemployed and young people unemployed.
The plan is that by 2018 everybody who wants a job in Ireland can get one.

I know well that most families in Ireland are only just beginning to feel the benefits of the recovery, and many have not yet felt the benefits at all.

For this reason job creation remains our top priority.
 
And that’s why I’m here this week – in Atlanta, in Austin and in Washington D.C. – to do business.  Business which benefits both countries.  Which creates jobs here in the US and in Ireland.  

There are many good reasons why so many American companies have already made the decision to invest in Ireland.

As the only English-speaking country in the eurozone we offer barrier-free access to a market of half a billion people.

We have a young, passionate and talented population.  

We remain fully committed to pursuing policies that create the ideal conditions for enterprise and investment. Our transparent 12.5% corporate tax rate is clear and our commitment to it is rock-solid. We have added to this some of the best incentives in the world for research and development.

That’s why Atlanta giants like Coca-Cola and UPS are in Ireland.  It’s why exciting new companies like Neo-Med and N3 have set up in Ireland.  It’s why Facebook, Google and Twitter have their European headquarters in Ireland.    

But this is not a one-way street.  Ireland is a leading European hub for startups, and Irish companies are exporting like never before.  

Our agri-food sector is booming.  Last year, we exported nearly US$12 billion worth of food and drink – that’s about 10% of US agricultural exports.  Not bad for a country that’s about half the size of the State of Georgia.

For those of you here today that translates to having great Irish produce available locally, and being able to buy Kerrygold and wonderful Irish cheeses in supermarkets in Atlanta and across the US.  

Later this year, Ireland will become the first European Union country to gain access to US markets for our world-renowned grass-fed beef — another enormous vote of confidence in the quality of our farming sector.

Of course, the best place to enjoy quality Irish food and drink is in Ireland itself.

I am delighted Tourism Ireland is here with us this morning — they do a superb job promoting our entire island as a place to visit here in the US.  And we have record numbers visiting from North America.

Whether you are visiting to play golf, to trace your ancestors or simply to immerse yourself in Irish culture, all the surveys show you will come home happy.

I can particularly vouch for the Wild Atlantic Way, which runs from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, through the wonderful county of Mayo, and all the way down to Kinsale in West Cork. 2,500 kilometres of the wildest, most captivating coastal route you will ever drive.

Whether you find your way back to Ireland this year or next I know I am with great friends of Ireland here this morning.

I want to thank you for all you do on our behalf. That means encouraging colleagues or contacts to be part of the next chapter in the historic US – Ireland relationship.

It could mean encouraging friends or relatives to visit Ireland or to study there in one of our great centres of learning.  Or it could mean supporting Irish theatre, music or Gaelic games.  

Please know that we greatly appreciate all you do.

St. Patrick’s Day is a unique opportunity for our global Irish family to come together. All those born in Ireland; all those with Irish parents or grandparents or great-grandparents; all those who feel affection or generosity towards Ireland for whatever reason.
Our island is so much richer for your passion, your pride, your optimism and your generosity of spirit.  

Thank you and I hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day.