Stephen Harper to meet Irish prime minister, business leaders in Dublin

DUBLIN - Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet his Irish counterpart, Enda Kenny, today in Dublin.

Harper is in Ireland ahead of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland.

The prime minister is expected to talk trade with Kenny — specifically, a free-trade deal between Canada and the European Union.

Ireland and France are believed to be pushing back against Canadian demands for more duty-free access to European markets.

Harper has stopped in both countries on the pre-G8 leg of his trip.

He'll also be meeting with local business leaders at a roundtable later today.