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Tánaiste and Foreign Secretary Hague address representatives of the British and Irish Business Communities

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has today assured representatives of the British and Irish business communities that Ireland’s 12.5% rate of corporation tax will not change.

Speaking at a business breakfast in UCD in honour of the British Foreign Secretary, William Hague M.P., he said that trade between the UK and Ireland is worth €1 billion a week and noted that commerce between both countries is thriving.

The Foreign Secretary is accompanying Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her State visit to Ireland, a visit which the Tánaiste described as having immense significance for all of the peoples of these islands who want to live and work together in peace and prosperity.

In his address, Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the UK and Ireland have a common interest in promoting trade with each other, with other EU member states and with the rest of the world. He reflected on the strong economic ties between Ireland and Britain across trade tourism and investment and noted that Government organisations and Departments working alongside industry groups such as the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, launched the previous evening, provide an ideal platform to encourage and support potential growth.