US envoy Joe Kennedy to be invited to Mid Ulster to see the district’s economic potential

A proposal to invite Joe Kennedy III to the district was put forward by Sinn Fein group leader, Councillor Cathal Mallaghan at the council’s monthly meeting in April.

At the end of 2022, President Joe Biden appointed the former Massachusetts congressman and grandson of former US attorney general Robert F Kennedy to the role to focus on advancing economic development and investment opportunities in Northern Ireland.

Discussing President Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland earlier this month, Cllr Mallaghan said he felt the local authority had missed an opportunity in not getting him to visit the Seamus Heaney Centre in Bellaghy and called on the council to ensure Mr Kennedy is made acutely aware of the district’s economic potential.

“Whatever has happened between the diplomats, and there are many theories and considerations about what went wrong, we definitely did not see the energy the 26 counties managed to generate from the visit,” said Cllr Mallaghan.

“It could have been a fantastic opportunity for this council. You can imagine for a moment what might have been had President Biden made it to the Heaney Centre in Bellaghy, given his love for Seamus Heaney’s poetry.

“On the back of that, Joe Kennedy has now been announced as an economic envoy to the north. He will spend lots of time in Belfast looking at what is happening there I am sure but there is something amazing happening in Mid Ulster in terms of our construction sector.

“We do a phenomenal job at turning out machinery and exporting it to the rest of the world and we really should do all we can to make Mr Kennedy aware of the economic potential of our district.

“Given the fact there is potentially a $6 billion investment hanging there, it would be important we invite Joe Kennedy to our Council area and let him see what we can do, so I would like to make that a formal proposal.”

Cllr Mallaghan’s proposal was seconded by the committee’s Chair, Councillor Cora Corry who told the chamber she would be “very happy to second that proposal”.

“We have achieved a lot [since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement] but there is still more to be done and it would be great to see Joe Kennedy coming to the Mid Ulster area,” she said.

The proposal was also welcomed by DUP group leader, Councillor Paul McLean who said he would “concur that we should extend the invite”.

“Anybody or anything that can inward investment brought to our area should be welcomed, that can only be a positive thing for Mid Ulster,” he said.

The proposal was also welcomed by SDLP group leader, Councillor Malachy Quinn and UUP group leader, Councillor Mark Glasgow.