IDA chief discussed Occupied Territories Bill and 'impact of US FDI' with Trump’s ambassador

The IDA’s CEO prepared to discuss the Occupied Territories Bill and the “impact of US FDI” during a meeting earlier this year with US ambassador Edward Walsh.

“Likely discussion items” also included the EU presidency, St Patrick’s Day, trade with China and the 250th anniversary of the US, according to briefing documents released to The Ditch under freedom of information legislation.  

The section of the brief dealing with the Occupied Territories Bill – a weakened version of which was passed this summer – says, “Any legislation must be legally robust, able to withstand challenge and progress the government's broader policy agenda – hence need for further clarification." 

It also noted, “It remains the government’s preference that collective action would be taken at EU level and Ireland continue to pursue this.”

The ambassador is a close friend of president Trump

IDA Ireland officials prepared briefing notes for CEO Michael Lohan ahead of the 3 March meeting at the organisation’s Dublin office.

The state agency declined to release the names of the people who attended the meeting alongside ambassador Walsh, citing privacy provisions in FOI legislation. 

The Occupied Territories Bill, first put forward by senator Francis Black in 2018 and later altered by government to remove a ban on services, was to be a topic of discussion. This wasn’t the first time a US ambassador made the legislation a priority. 

In 2024 The Ditch reported that the then-US ambassador warned Micheál Martin's office of "consequences" if government enacted the bill – 90 minutes before Martin issued a statement committing only to a "review" rather than enacting the legislation. 

The briefing document prepared for the meeting gave the IDA CEO a description of ambassador Walsh. 

“The ambassador is a close friend of president Trump through his membership of the Trump

National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey,” later adding that “he has a close relationship with president Trump and the ear of many in the inner circle of an administration where power and decision-making is highly concentrated in the White House.” 

Another paragraph says Walsh takes “a keen interest in Irish domestic issues” and published a piece in the Irish Times last December where Walsh said Ireland can ‘“serve as a vital transatlantic connector, ensuring that US and European priorities are aligned during a pivotal moment for global co-operation”.

The document outlines the extent to which the Irish economy relies on US foreign direct investment – which a report authored by The Ditch and academics Patrick Bresnihan and Pat Brody concluded has diminished Ireland’s ability to have an independent foreign policy. 

“The US Bureau of Economic Analysis found that Ireland was the country with the largest new

FDI in the US in 2024, with a total of more than $30 billion,” says the material prepared for Lohan. 

“When ranked by country of origin, Ireland accounts for the largest number of employees in newly established, acquired or expanded businesses in the U.S. in 2024, with 43,100.”

IDA Ireland and the US embassy have been contacted for comment.