Outgoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny praised for his committed work as Honorary President of EM Ireland

Dublin, 13 June 2017: European Movement Ireland has today paid tribute to outgoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who has been the organisation’s Honorary President since elected to the office of Taoiseach in 2011.

Mr Maurice Pratt, Chairman of EM Ireland, wished Mr Kenny well and thanked him for his long-standing support of EM Ireland, stating: “As Chairman of European Movement Ireland, I wish to record our deep and lasting gratitude for Mr Kenny’s many years of support for our organisation.”

Mr Pratt continued: “It has been the long-standing tradition that the Taoiseach becomes the Honorary President of European Movement Ireland. We appreciate that Mr Kenny went beyond his official title, and his support over the years was an important boost for our mission to develop the connection between Ireland and Europe.

“In more recent times, Mr Kenny has played a pivotal role to ensure Irish concerns on the implications of Brexit for this country were understood and well-represented at the highest level in the EU. Throughout his tenure as Taoiseach, Enda Kenny was a committed champion of Ireland’s membership of the EU and we would like to pay tribute to him for his work as an advocate of robust engagement with our EU partners.”

Ms Noelle O Connell, Executive Director of EM Ireland said: “We would like to thank Mr Kenny, not only for his work as President of European Movement Ireland during his terms of office as Taoiseach, but particularly for his leadership during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2013 and more latterly, throughout these unprecedented and challenging times at an EU level.”

Wishing Mr Kenny the best as he embarks on a new chapter in his life, Ms O Connell concluded: “We hope that Mr Kenny’s passion for Europe will continue in whatever path he pursues and wish him every success in his future endeavours.”