merrion street

Minister Flanagan speaking at the University of Liverpool

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Charlie Flanagan is today beginning a two-day pre-referendum visit to Liverpool and Manchester. The visit takes place just three weeks ahead of the referendum on the UK’s EU membership.

In the course of the visit, Minister Flanagan will be reaching out to Irish citizens living and working in the UK who are eligible to vote, encouraging them to exercise that right. Minister Flanagan will also highlight the importance of the trading relationship between Ireland and the UK and Irish investment in the UK.

Minister Flanagan’s visit forms part of a coordinated programme of ministerial engagements aimed at reaching out to Irish citizens living and working in the UK who are eligible to vote.

Minister Flanagan said:

I know that for some voters, the Irish perspective may be one of the factors they consider when informing themselves about the issues at stake in the forthcoming referendum. In particular, I know from previous visits that there is a strong interest among the Irish communities living in the UK. I am delighted to be visiting two cities with historic people-to-people and trade relationships with Ireland. Our own experience of referendums had made clear that a well informed public debate is really important and I hope to make a small contribution to that debate by explaining our perspective on this critical referendum which, of course, can only be decided by the electorate of the UK on 23 June.