By SUZANNE DOWNING
Jan. 24, 2026 – Anchorage state Rep. Mia Costello has introduced a bill to formally establish a new Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission, which would create a permanent framework for cooperation between Alaska and Ireland on trade, investment, education, and shared policy interests.
House Bill 278 forms the Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The bill comes just as Irish Senate leader Sen. Mark Daly, Chair of the Senate of Ireland, was in Juneau to meet with Gov. Mike Dunleavy, administration officials, and state legislators as part of a broader effort to bring Alaska into a growing multistate partnership network with Ireland.
Daly, who serves as the 26th Chair of the Senate of Ireland, is also a leader in the American Irish State Legislators Caucus, a bipartisan organization he founded in 2021 whose mission is to foster and strengthen the long-standing relationship between Ireland and the United States through state-level cooperation.
HB 278 would establish a five-member commission appointed by the governor, with members serving two-year terms at the governor’s pleasure. The commission’s stated purposes include advancing bilateral trade and investment between Alaska and Ireland, initiating joint action on policy issues of mutual interest, promoting business and academic exchanges, encouraging mutual economic support, fostering infrastructure investment, and addressing other issues as determined by the commission.
The commission would elect its own chair, be required to provide public notice of meetings, and submit a formal report of findings and recommendations to the governor and the Legislature by the 30th day of the First Regular Session of the 35th Alaska Legislature. The Department of Commerce would be authorized to accept gifts, donations, and grants from public and private sources to support the commission’s work.
The legislation follows growing engagement between Irish leaders and US state governments through the American Irish State Legislators Caucus, which was launched in October 2021 during a National Conference of State Legislators visit to Ireland.
The caucus was formally established in Dublin’s historic Mansion House, the site of Ireland’s first parliament, and now includes bipartisan leadership representation across all 50 states, with monthly communications to more than 2,000 state legislators nationwide.
Costello, who represents Anchorage’s District 15, has previously served in both the Alaska House and Senate and is listed as part of the caucus’s national leadership group. Her sponsorship of HB 278 would formally align Alaska with other states participating in structured economic and policy partnerships with Ireland.
The bill is titled: “An Act establishing the Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission; and providing for an effective date.”
6 thoughts on “Rep. Costello proposes creation of Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission following Irish Senate leader’s Juneau visit”
How many other unnecessary ways can they dream up to waste money?
Currently the only thing Ireland has the export is a massive influx of illegal immigrants. Does not anyone else see the footage of women afraid to walk in their own neighborhood……
Doesn’t Alaska have enough government group commissions
These government dependents need to learn how to work in a Real job
Instead of sitting around a table in a meeting room pretending they are meaningfully contributing to their community
Not every meeting with a leader needs to be turned into a commission, department, division, program, and non profit
I’d like to see Mia Costello working at Grocer store, restaurant, or hotel that’s not management becsuse inside tells me she’d make a bad manager and Alaska hired enough poor managers
I’d rather see her out clearing snow and ice from streets,with a toothbrush, after her votes this,term unfortunately she represents my district