Visit from Minister of Finance Michael McGrath
Minister of Finance Michael McGrath Visited California for a programme full of meetings with business leaders, media, policymakers, and community groups.
His visit, which included stops in both the Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area included a large economic engagement.
With the assistance of both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, Minister McGrath met with leaders from companies including Pfizer, Wayleadr, Abbott, Medtronic, Stripe, Dexcom, Resmed, Merck, Broadcom, Google, Meta, Apple, Intel, Amazon, Disney, Warner Bros, NBC, and Activision/Blizzard.
Minister McGrath met with US policymakers who manage similar policy areas in public finance and economic management. In San Francisco he met with California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly.
Ireland-California relations
At a lunch in Ireland House San Francisco, Minister McGrath met with Consuls General from European Union countries to kick off Ireland’s local EU presidency.
In a series of interviews with both local and international media organizations, Minister McGrath spoke to the important relationships between California and Ireland, whether in the realm of economics, family ties, or cultural affinities.
Irish community
Minister McGrath met with a series of community groups, including the United Irish Cultural Center, who presented to him their ambitious plans to redesign the center.
Their Project 2025 will see the current Irish Center replaced by a six story building replete with a swimming pool, bar, library, and plenty of space for the UICC to continue to bring Irish cultural events to the city.
Technological innovations
During his visit, Minister McGrath was eager to sample the kinds of technological innovations that San Francisco is known for. One of the highlights of his visit was a ride in a self-driving Waymo car through San Francisco’s Financial District.
Minister McGrath visited the Stanford Graduate School of business where he addressed students, faculty, and community members on how Ireland is building a resilient economy in times of change.
40 years of sister cities
At the Consul General’s Residence, the Minister joined a reception marking the 40-year anniversary of the sister city relationship between San Francisco and Cork, Ireland.
Minister McGrath finished his visit in Los Angeles where he met with several representatives of creative industries, discussing the growing Irish entertainment industry and exchanges with the US entertainment industry.