Simon Harris to meet California governor Gavin Newsom during US visit

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

The Tánaiste is to meet with California governor Gavin Newsom as part of a visit to the US state.

Simon Harris flew to California on Sunday for a visit his department is billing as “strengthening Ireland’s economic partnership with the United States”.

Mr Harris will meet with IDA and Enterprise Ireland client companies in the sectors of tech, healthcare, and pharma.

His itinerary also includes meetings with Mr Newsom and the mayor of San Francisco Daniel Lurie.

Mr Newsom is considered to be a 2028 presidential hopeful for the Democrats.

Speaking before the visit, the Finance Minister said: “Ireland’s long-standing economic relationship with California is a cornerstone of our wider partnership with the United States.

“The economic partnership between our two countries supports prosperity and employment on both sides of the Atlantic, and this visit provides an opportunity to further deepen that relationship.

“The scale of two-way trade and investment between Ireland and the US underscores the strength of our economic ties.”