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Irish vice consul general urges deeper Oregon–Ireland ties, highlights investment and semiconductor strategy
Summary
Ireland’s Vice Consul General Nisha Kenny told the interim Senate committee that deep people-to-people ties and growing trade make Oregon a natural partner; she highlighted Irish foreign direct investment, semiconductor strategy and support for a new Oregon–Ireland Sister State Committee.
Nisha Kenny, Vice Consul General of Ireland to the Western United States, told the interim Senate Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs on Feb. 3 that Ireland and Oregon share strong historic and economic ties and that the consulate seeks greater state-level engagement.
Kenny, who said she was visiting Portland for the first time, described robust Irish-American community activity in the state and noted an estimated 11% of Oregon residents claim Irish heritage. She cited cross-Atlantic commerce and employment figures to argue for expanded trade and cultural exchanges.
“The people-to-people connections are what allows us as a government to then build economic, trade, commercial, and political links on top of that,” Kenny said, describing how migration history and diaspora networks underpin bilateral ties. She also noted that Ireland is a significant investor in the U.S. economy and cited that more than 200,000 U.S. jobs are supported by roughly 800 Irish companies operating nationwide.
Kenny urged state-level engagement rather than relying solely on federal channels and highlighted opportunities in advanced manufacturing and semiconductors. She referenced Ireland’s national semiconductor strategy and pointed to existing links between Oregon-area manufacturing activity and Irish investment and industry efforts.
Kenny told lawmakers the consulate in San Francisco covers a broad territory, from California to Alaska and extending inland to Colorado, and pledged consular support for the Oregon–Ireland Sister State Committee that is forming to deepen trade, educational and cultural exchanges.
Committee members thanked Kenny for visiting and for committing the consulate to work with the new sister-state effort. Chair Manning and Vice Chair Thatcher both expressed appreciation for the visit and said they looked forward to future collaboration.
The informal hearing concluded with the committee closing the informational meeting and moving on to other agenda items; the consulate reiterated its willingness to facilitate engagement once the state-level committee is fully organized.
