US President Donald Trump said there was a “50-50 chance” that the United States would reach a trade agreement with the European Union.
He was speaking before he left the White House to head to Scotland for several days of golfing and bilateral meetings.
While Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he hopes a framework trade agreement between the European Union and the United States can be “signed off before the weekend is over”.
Speaking in Luxembourg, Mr Martin said he would “welcome an end to the uncertainty” around the trade dispute between the bloc and the US.
“The agreement will be a headline framework agreement,” he said, adding that there will be detailed discussions afterwards in respect of many products.
“I know there are intensive discussions ongoing and the reason for the intensity of those negotiations is to try to tie up as much as we can, and get certainty around the sectoral tariffs,” said Mr Martin.
“The European Union is not anxious for a retaliatory scenario, is not anxious to engage in a trade conflict with the United States.”
Meanwhile, the European Investment Bank is to provide a new €300m loan for water infrastructure projects in Ireland.
The announcement was made this morning after a meeting between the Taoiseach and President of the EIB Nadia Calviño in Luxembourg.
Mr Martin, attending a signing ceremony for the new loan at the EIB, said the bank was a “key partner for transformational investment across Ireland”.
He said the new investment will help Uisce Éireann to upgrade vital water infrastructure and that the loan aligned with the Government’s new National Development Plan, announced earlier this week.
The loan, signed in cooperation with the National Treasury Management Agency, is designed to enhance water security by extending water supply infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.
It also includes investments in stormwater drainage facilities to future-proof against more extreme periods of rainfall.
Chris McCarthy, the chief financial officer of Uisce Éireann, said the investment will accelerate the development of Ireland’s critical water services infrastructure.
In recent years, the EIB has provided approximately €1 billion annually for public and private investment in water, housing and energy projects in Ireland.
