Taoiseach to use UK visit to change perception of Ireland

The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste will make the next moves in Ireland's diplomatic offensive today.

It is part of the Coalition's plans to change the international perception of Ireland following the change in government.

Enda Kenny is heading to London to meet British Prime Minister David Cameron, while Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore will host a delegation of European ambassadors and embassy officials at his Department offices.

The Taoiseach will use his visit to Downing Street to discuss the Queen’s state visit to Ireland as well as security and economic matters.

Mr Kenny and Mr Cameron are also expected to discuss trade and investment links between Ireland and Britain.

Before travelling to London, Mr Kenny signalled the trip was part of an international diplomatic offensive to restore confidence in Ireland among neighbouring countries and worldwide.

“I want to meet with representatives of the Irish community and to recognise their contribution to our country and to life in Britain,” he said.

“I will be communicating widely, with key opinion formers and the broader business community, through the media and through public events, what the new government is doing to address Ireland’s economic crisis.

“And I will be meeting with the prime minister to emphasise our shared commitment to building on the peace process in Northern Ireland and to deepening our bilateral relationship between Ireland and Britain, in all of its many dimensions.

“We will also share our views on current EU and economic issues.”

The Taoiseach is expected to tell an audience of more than 200 at an event in the City of the action taken by the new coalition in its first five weeks in office.

Mr Kenny said there was a lot of sensitivity around the Queen’s visit.

And he said the threat posed by dissident republican terrorists will also be on the agenda at the Downing Street talks.

“That’s an issue that has to be central to both the visit of the Queen followed closely by the visit of the American President (Barack Obama),” Mr Kenny said.

The Queen is due in Ireland from May 17-20 and President Obama arrives on an expected overnight visit the following weekend.

Mr Kenny said the issue of dissidents would be one item on a packed agenda of talks with the Prime Minister which includes the banking crisis, fiscal funding and job creation.

The Taoiseach said: “The visit of the Queen is central to his (the Prime Minister’s) concerns and arising from that we will discuss the consequences of the murder of Ronan Kerr in Northern Ireland,” he said.

The Police Constable was murdered in a booby trap car bomb attack outside his home in Omagh, Co Tyrone, two weeks ago.

The Taoiseach told RTE Radio that activity between An Garda Siochana and the Police Service of Northern Ireland was now at an all-time high.

The two leaders will also discuss the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings which left 34 people dead and which campaigners claim were carried out with support from some security force members from Northern Ireland.

Mr Kenny said it was important to deal with the legacy issues but also not to focus on any one event.