Lack of Stormont Executive 'not hampering' US investment in NI

Gordon Lyons held a series of meetings in New York and Washington with potential investors

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has denied the lack of a Stormont Executive is hampering efforts to secure extra investment in the US.

He insisted the absence of a first and deputy first minister has not been highlighted by investors he has met in New York and Washington.

"Nobody has raised it with me", he said.

"It is about the talent and skills of our people, it's the access to world class universities"

He added: "It's the track record we have, those are the things that actually matter and are pulling people to Northern Ireland."

The economy minister held a series of meetings in New York and Washington with potential investors one of whom he said was planning to bring 100 jobs to Northern Ireland.

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He also discussed strengthening links with a cyber security firm in Maryland.

As the only unionist politician to have travelled to the US, Mr Lyons said he plans to challenge what he called the "misunderstanding" among US politicians about the Protocol and how it is being implemented.

"I think for a long time there has been a fundamental misunderstanding among many in politics in the United States of what the protocol actually does", he said.

"Many have said that it supports and upholds the Belfast agreement, which is just rubbish.

Gordon Lyons has denied the lack of an Executive is hampering efforts to secure extra investment in the US

"In fact it runs contrary to the Belfast agreement causing damage to political stability in Northern Ireland.

"So that's the message that I'm here to get across."

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, who is also in Washington, said he plans to raise the protocol with the EUs Maros Sefcovic .

He said the EU must show more flexibility in how the protocol is implemented to secure political stability in Northern Ireland.

The protocol is the Brexit deal which prevents a hard Irish border by keeping Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods.

• What is the Northern Ireland protocol?

That also creates a new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The EU accepts that is causing difficulties for businesses and in October proposed a package of measures to reduce its practical impacts.

In December, it published further proposals aimed at guaranteeing the supply of medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The UK wants more far-reaching changes to the protocol's operation and governance.