Taoiseach welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Carney to Ireland

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will today welcome Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Madame Diana Fox Carney to Ireland, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries.

The visit carries particular personal resonance, as Prime Minister Carney is the grandson of Irish emigrants, and tomorrow will travel to County Mayo — where his grandparents were born — more than 100 years after they left for Canada.

Ireland and Canada enjoy deep historical ties, with 4.4 million Canadians — over 12% of the population — claiming Irish heritage. Ireland also recognises with gratitude Canada's contribution to peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.

During today's meeting, the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Carney will announce a new bilateral cooperation framework to strengthen the partnership between the two countries across key areas including trade and investment, life sciences, research and innovation, and security and defence.

Trade and economic ties between Ireland and Canada have expanded significantly in recent years. Bilateral trade in goods and services has grown from €3.2 billion in 2016 to more than €12 billion in 2024. Canadian investment in Ireland has increased by 131% since 2016, while Ireland is now Canada's eighth largest foreign investor.

The Taoiseach will note that the Oireachtas this week completed passage of the Arbitration Amendment Act, enabling Ireland to proceed to ratify the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) once this Act has been signed by the President. Since its provisional implementation, CETA has been a significant driver of the growth in trade between both countries.

An official dinner will be held in Dublin Castle later this evening to mark the occasion of Prime Minister Carney’s visit before he travels to Mayo on Sunday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: