Michael Noonan flies to US amid fears of job losses in Ireland

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has flown to the US to hold crisis talks with leading Irish-based multi-national firms as fears grow of an exodus of jobs from Ireland under Donald Trump’s presidency.

Mr Noonan last night flew out for a week-long series of meetings in Washington DC and Silicon Valley in California amid increasing concern over how the incoming US president’s corporate tax regime will impact on this country.

The trip was scheduled before Mr Trump’s election win and officially involves Mr Noonan meeting US Treasury, IM,F and World Bank representatives for an update on the impact of Brexit, after he was unable to attend a previous event as it clashed with the budget.