Neale Richmond, Minister of State with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, visited Frankfurt this week (Tuesday 7th May), with an intensive programme including an Ireland for Law event focused on Ireland as regulatory centre of excellence organised with the Irish Consulate.
As part of the visit, Minister Richmond visited the European Central Bank to meet with Philip Lane, Ireland’s most senior official in the Bank. The Minister also visited the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and met with the Hessian State Secretary for Federal, European and International Affairs and Bureaucracy Reduction, Ms. Karin Müller.
Minister Richmond said:
“Ireland and Germany have seen our relationship go from strength to strength over recent years, indeed Germany is now Ireland’s largest trading partner in the EU.
“This relationship includes our crucial cooperation on financial services. Germany and Ireland are globally recognised as two of the premier financial services centres in the EU and maintaining Ireland’s strong reputation in this area is a key priority of mine.
“Over 57,000 people are employed in International Financial Services in Ireland, in what is a growing sector, and a key aspect of my visit was to discuss how our countries can work together to build on the exciting capital markets opportunities that lie ahead of us.
“Ireland for Law play an important role in promoting Ireland across the world as an English speaking common law jurisdiction and a major centre for financial services and I look forward to supporting their work further in the coming months.”
