Foreign Affairs Secretary Simon Coveney has welcomed US President Joe Biden’s nomination of an Irish-American lawyer and country representative to be the next US ambassador to Ireland.
Coveney said the president’s selection of Claire Cronin for the position is «very welcome news» and «we look forward to welcoming her to Ireland».
«The early nomination of a US ambassador to Ireland reflects the extraordinary strength and depth of the relationship that exists between our two countries,» Coveney said in a statement.
“Despite a uniquely challenging year since the Covid-19 outbreak, the strength of Ireland’s ties to the United States remains.
“Our people-to-people ties are unparalleled with the nearly 30 million Americans claiming Irish heritage, including President Joe Biden.
«The United States is one of our most important trading and investment partners, and remains a steadfast supporter of the Northern Ireland peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.»
The Boston Globe described Cronin, 61, as a «second-ranked Democrat» in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the first majority leader in the state legislature.
The married mother of two, who represents Easton County, Massachusetts, south of Boston, was a pioneer in fundraising for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign in the state and appeared on US national television during last summer’s Democratic National Convention when she «thrown an official who is nominating him,» according to the newspaper.
Cronin spoke about her Irish roots in a statement released by the White House today.
“I am very honored [sic] To be nominated by President Biden for ambassador to Ireland, especially given the president’s and my Irish roots.
«If confirmed, I look forward to serving as an ambassador and working with our partners in Ireland on both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.»
Her nomination would be brought before the Senate for a hearing for approval, and senators would then vote before she was formally appointed to the position.
She previously chaired the legislature’s powerful Judiciary Committee where she helped launch a «comprehensive criminal justice reform bill in 2018,» and last year was among the lead negotiators in the House of Representatives on a high-profile police accountability bill, according to the Boston Globe.
She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 and as a lawyer who acted as a mediator in the sexual assault settlement of the Catholic clergy.
According to the IrishCentral website, which previously reported that she was the main contender for the position, Ms Cronin was «a key figure in Biden’s primaries in Massachusetts when Biden successfully defeated her hometown candidate Elizabeth Warren in the Massachusetts nomination—a major coup. the state «.
The position of Irish ambassador has been vacant since Ohio businessman Ed Crawford left after defeating former US President Donald Trump in last November’s election. Appointed in June 2019.
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