131. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will report on her visit to Poland on 13 March 2026. [22512/26]

I paid a three-day visit to Poland as part of my St Patrick’s Day outreach before continuing on to Ukraine and Moldova. My programme in Poland involved a series of engagements in Warsaw and the city of Lódz, including political meetings, as well as community and cultural events.

In Warsaw on 13 March, I met with my Polish counterpart, the Secretary of State for European Affairs and discussed major files on the EU agenda of shared interest, including enlargement of the Union. Both Ireland and Poland support advancing the accession process for candidate countries. During Ireland’s EU Presidency, I will chair the EU General Affairs Council, and EU enlargement will be a significant priority on the agenda.

In Warsaw, I also met with the Polish Association of Irish Studies and with the Chair of the Polish Parliament’s EU Affairs Committee. On the evening of 13 March, I delivered remarks at the well-attended National Day Reception.

My programme continued in Lódz where I attended a concert given by Irish musician, Ruth Dillon. I also met with the Mayor of Lódz and attended the opening of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival and parade.

Ireland and Poland are strong partners in the EU and the UN, as well as close bilateral partners. My programme of engagements in Warsaw and Lódz reflected the breadth of the relationship, providing the opportunity to further deepen our political, trade, cultural and people-to-people links, and to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with our dynamic Irish community across Poland.