Minister Chambers commences official visit to San Francisco

Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers is today (Wednesday 29th April) commencing an official visit to San Francisco where he will undertake a series of engagements with business and other sectors, including meetings with the world's largest tech and AI companies.

The visit will include meetings with firms who have operations in Ireland and collectively employ thousands of people here including Google, Stripe, AMD, Cisco, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Workday and Waymo.

Minister Chambers will outline the Government's focus on investing in physical and digital infrastructure to support enterprise, attract investment and drive further job growth in Ireland, with the support of the Consulate General of Ireland, IDA Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland.

Minster Chambers will say the presence of so many world leading tech firms in Ireland and the upcoming Irish Presidency of the EU means the country is uniquely placed to act as a bridge between Europe and the USA in shaping AI and digital policy development.

He will say a key theme of Ireland's Presidency will be making the EU economy more competitive by reforming processes, driving a simplification agenda and supporting innovation.

He will also deliver an address at an AI conference and participate in a roundtable discussion at Stanford University.

Speaking about the visit, Minister Chambers said:
"Ireland's EU Presidency offers a major opportunity to help shape the European agenda at a pivotal moment for competitiveness, digital transformation and strategic resilience. It gives Ireland a platform to act as a practical bridge between innovation and regulation, to drive forward discussions on AI, digital infrastructure, skills and trusted technology, and to help ensure that Europe's approach is ambitious and innovation friendly while firmly grounded in democratic values, inclusion and fundamental rights.
"Taken together, this reflects how seriously Ireland is approaching the AI transition. We want Ireland to be a strong voice in Europe for a digital economy that supports innovation and competitiveness, while also protecting data privacy, public trust and fundamental rights."

Ministers Chambers will also use the visit to underscore the mutual benefits of the strength of the Irish - US trading partnership at a time of increasing global economic uncertainty.

Trade between the two countries was valued at €377bn in 2024 - more than €1bn in trade per day. Ireland is the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment in the US. More than 200,000 people are employed by Irish companies across the US, with more than 25,000 of those based in California.

The visit will also include a cultural programme with engagements involving Irish community organisations including the GAA, the United Irish Cultural Centre and the site of the planned San Francisco Famine Memorial.