Cathaoirleach, Councillor Gerard Mullaney, welcomed the Dutch Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Ambassador Palm, to County Hall on Wednesday, 12th July.
Cathaoirleach welcomes Dutch Ambassador to County Hall
Jim Molloy, Director of Services; Councillor Michael Clarke; Martin Lydon Chief Executive; H.E. Ambassador Adriaan Palm; Cathaoirleach Councillor Gerard Mullaney; Councillor Arthur Gibbons
Also in attendance were Chief Executive, Martin Lydon, Councillors Michael Clarke and Arthur Gibbons, Aidan Doyle, Chief Executive Officer, Sligo Chamber of Commerce, Gail McGibbon, Chief Executive Officer, Sligo BID and John Reilly, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office.
The Cathaoirleach said
‘It is a privilege to welcome Ambassador Palm to our offices today. To my knowledge, this is the first occasion we have had the honour of welcoming a Dutch Ambassador to this Chamber. Diplomatic relations between Ireland and The Netherlands were established in 1945 and the Irish Embassy in The Hague was opened in 1950. Ireland and The Netherlands maintain a good political relationship with many ministerial visits taking place between the two countries. The Netherlands is a major trading partner for Ireland, and the fifth largest importer of Irish goods.
We are interested in exploring the potential of developing new connections in the realm of business and enterprise. I believe there is an excellent foundation to progress the association between Sligo and the Netherlands, and Sligo County Council has an important role to play on this process - there is an onus on civic leaders to take the initiative and consider these strands where links can be forged in the many areas of common interest.”
Ambassador Palm signing the Distinguished Visitors Book alongside Cathaoirleach Councillor Mullaney
Aidan Doyle, Chief Executive Officer of Sligo Chamber of Commerce gave an overview of the Sligo Chamber of Commerce and the work carried out by them in order to deliver for Sligo.
Gail McGibbon, Chief Executive Officer Sligo BID, provided the background of how Sligo BID came to fruition and the various agencies they work with to benefit Sligo.
John Reilly, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, talked about the various supports and projects provided by the Local Enterprise Office, including the new Advancing Innovation in Manufacturing (AIM) Centre which will focus on developing capability in cutting-edge manufacturing technology in North-West region.
Cathaoirleach Cllr Gerard Mullaney making a presentation to Ambassador Palm
Ambassador Palm making a presentation to Cathaoirleach Councillor Mullaney
H.E. Ambassador Palm stated that he had read Sligo County Council’s Local Economic and Development Plan 2023-2030, and was pleased to see that we are all working together towards the same goals of sustainability and digitalisation.
Ambassador Palm spoke of his delight to have visited W.B. Yeats’ grave and thanked staff for guiding him on the Benbulben Forest Walk, earlier in the day.
