Villiers attends St Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP, will travel to Washington today where she will represent the United Kingdom Government at events to mark St Patrick’s Day.
Ms Villiers will also use her visit to update members of the US Administration on the progress of the Northern Ireland (Stormont House Agreement & Implementation Plan) Bill which completed its stages in the House of Commons last week. She will highlight the significant progress on implementation made since November’s Fresh Start Agreement.
In addition the Secretary of State will use the events around St Patrick’s to promote Northern Ireland as a great place for investment.
Speaking ahead of her visit, Ms Villiers said:
I welcome the opportunity to represent the United Kingdom Government at the St Patrick’s Day events in Washington. I am also delighted that it was this government that passed legislation to enable the devolution of corporation tax which could have such a transformative effect on the NI economy.
The Fresh Start and SHA agreements have placed devolved government on a more stable and sustainable footing.
There are some issues still to be resolved but I am confident that we can find an agreed way forward to address the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past and build a brighter, more secure future for everyone .