Irish Tanaiste (Foreign Minister) Eamon Gilmore will travel to New York from September 24-28 to conduct United Nations business on behalf of Ireland.  

Irish Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar is also planning a visit to New York. Together with Gilmore, they will officially launch The Gathering, the 2013 year-long tourism initiative inviting tourists from all over the world to visit Ireland for a series of special events throughout the country.

Gilmore is also due to host a breakfast in New York to launch Connect Ireland, a government supported initiative with a mission to attract companies that are expanding internationally so they locate in Ireland and create new jobs.

Varadkar will also have a full slate of engagements during his visit, including representing the government at the opening of the new Irish Famine Museum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

Meanwhile, Irish Minister of State for Trade and Development Joe Costello is currently in New York for high-level meetings with the UN and World Bank to discuss the humanitarian crisis caused by conflict in Syria, international development issues and new trade opportunities for Irish companies.  

“Following my visit to the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan last month, I announced an additional 
€1.5 million in humanitarian funding to provide vital support to civilians inside Syria who have been affected by the crisis and those who have been forced to flee to neighboring countries. I have also approved the release of essential humanitarian supplies, such as tents and blankets, from our emergency stockpiles in Dubai,” Costello said.

“Ireland is working energetically in search of an early ceasefire and urgent political transition in Syria, and along with our EU partners, will continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access to affected civilians. I look forward to discussing these critical issues with UN Assistant Secretary General Catherine Bragg during my visit to New York.”

Costello will also meet UNICEF director Anthony Lake to discuss Ireland’s work with UNICEF to tackle maternal and child hunger and HIV and AIDS in some of the world’s poorest countries. 

He’s also due to meet with the new UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson for an exchange of views on the future shape of the international development agenda, as the 2015 deadline for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals approaches.   

Costello will visit the World Bank in Washington, D.C. on September 13 to meet senior to discuss Ireland’s cooperation with the Bank on food security, fragile states and private sector development.

At a reception in Washington, Costello will present a certificate of Irish Heritage to Professor Catherine Bertini, former chief executive of the United Nations’ World Food Program.