News & Events

Minister Nash and UK and Northern Ireland counterparts host healthcare reception in Dubai to showcase growing industries.

Ministers from Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK hosted a joint reception in Dubai last night (Tuesday 27th January) to showcase their growing healthcare industries.


28th January 2015

Ministers from Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK hosted a joint reception in Dubai last night (Tuesday 27th January) to showcase their growing healthcare industries.

Ireland was represented by Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash. While the UK was represented by Lord Howe, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality at the Department of Health and Northern Ireland was represented by Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Arlene Foster.
The reception was attended by around 300 guests, including representatives of Irish and UK companies and stakeholders within the UAE healthcare sector.
This joint initiative – which brought together the very best in healthcare from the UK and Ireland during Arab Health - was born out of an agreement by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012 to find ways to strengthen further the bilateral relationship. This included taking the strong bilateral trade relationship between Ireland and the UK to the next level by working together to capitalise on global opportunities.
Speaking at the event, Minister Nash said: “We want to develop this economic relationship and look at ways that we can - not only import and export to each other - but to form partnerships, alliances, contract and supply relationships, to supplement skills and support services, and create myriad other ways of working together to find new markets together in third countries.”
Lord Howe, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality at the UK’s Department of Health, said: “This initiative is not just about celebrating what has been achieved, it is about renewing and strengthening the co-operation between our two countries. So it feels very appropriate that we have a joint presence here in Dubai during Arab Health.”

Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, said: "It’s a tremendous privilege and a great honour to represent Northern Ireland as part of this business collaboration for the Life and Health Sciences sector in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The sector is strategically important and I look forward to seeing more success for our companies as we continue to work in partnership to explore new opportunities."

ENDS

For more information contact:

Press Office, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: press.office@djei.ie  or Ph: 01-631 2200

Deirdre Grant, Press Advisor to Minister Nash – M: 086-048 4279