Kenny And Gilmore In NYC For Clinton Conference

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore will both be in New York this week to attend an investment conference first suggested by former US President Bill Clinton.

The conference will bring together senior business leaders and economic experts, and will try to promote foreign investment in Ireland.

There will also be forums for ideas aimed at boosting Ireland's recovery.

The idea for the summit was first put forward by Bill Clinton when he attended the Global Irish Summit at Dublin Castle last October.

At that summit, Mr Clinton told a gathering of leading Irish diaspora from around the world, that right now, the rest of the world thinks a lot better of Ireland than its own people do.

He suggested Ireland look at areas emerging markets in Brazil, India, China and Russia.

And he suggested crowd-sourcing as a method of funding new ventures by Irish entrepreneurs.

He said the there was significant untapped financial resources still available from venture capitalists and companies, even in the US, a market from which Ireland was already attracting significant investment.

He suggested that he would help organize an investment conference in New York aimed at those who do not already have a connection to Ireland.

Mr Clinton said the idea was that the conference would be aimed outside the Irish diaspora to those who would not normally have any association with the country.

The conference is being organized by Teneo, a company set up by Declan Kelly, the former US economic envoy to Northern Ireland.

Mr Clinton and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair are both senior advisors to the company.

In the Dail last week, Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore said the New York conference formed part of a wider government strategy aimed at bringing investment to Ireland.

"When he attended the global Irish economic forum in October, Mr Clinton committed to convene an investment meeting mainly of people who would not normally have associations with Ireland.

"That meeting is due to take place next week and will be attended by both the Taoiseach and myself.

"Very soon there will be a visit by the vice president of China with whom we have been discussing the possibilities for expansion of trade and investment between the two countries, all of which is aimed at the generation of employment."

In addition the Irish government has prepared a jobs action plan, which is due to be published in the next few weeks.