Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will move on to the next part of the meeting. I would appreciate if members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery would ensure their mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference. We had some incidents last week. Mobile phones interfere with the sound recording so I would appreciate co-operation from all concerned.

The next item on the agenda is trade promotion and the role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in economic recovery, which is an ongoing issue in respect of the preparation of our report relating to our economic recovery. We have a very important presentation today from the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, which is represented by two individuals, Brian Cotter, who is public affairs director, and Jonathan Small. The US is a very important trading partner. Mr. Cotter and Mr. Small are very welcome to the meeting. They are here today to offer the views of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland on trade promotion in the context of a series of meetings and other activities which the committee has been undertaking in respect of trade promotion and the role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in economic recovery.

The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland represents US companies based in Ireland at both Government and industry level and within the Irish and international media. With a corporate membership of more than 700 companies, the chamber is well placed to reflect on how official Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in particular can help maximise the potential for developing our relationship with one of our most important trading and investment partners. There is always the risk that our long-standing links in business, political and cultural arenas may lead to us becoming somewhat complacent about the strength of our relationship with the US. We must continually seek to understand the changing dynamics of the relationship and develop our approach in order that it continues to be a key contributor to Ireland's economic recovery. American foreign direct investment is extremely important to us. We saw it at first hand when we travelled to Atlanta, Houston and Silicon Valley in the US last year and had 32 meetings in six days. Business interests out there wanted to meet politicians and learn about the recession and how Ireland was faring in its economic recovery. The meetings were very successful.

The aim of the committee's examination is to prepare and publish a report on the strategy and the response of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the economic crisis as it is extremely important that we tell the good news about foreign direct investment in Ireland, the Department's newly recognised responsibilities in respect of trade promotion, which relate to the Department's new trade remit, the programme for Government in terms of trade promotion and economic recovery, and how well the Department is performing in these respects. As part of the examination, a delegation of the committee held 30 trade related meetings in three US cities last year as part of a very successful visit. This reflected the importance we attach to the US as a trading and investment partner and the potential to look beyond the traditional horizons to places such as Houston in Texas.

Texas is the fastest-growing state in the US and accounts for approximately 48% of new industry and is overtaking Silicon Valley. We were there to see the potential for putting a consul general's office there so as to know what is happening on the ground because Chicago covers that now. There are exciting opportunities in the field of technological development in Austin, Houston and Dallas, so it is to be hoped we will recommend that there be a consul general's office based there, similar to the last one we opened in Atlanta, where there have been major opportunities for us in Georgia.

Before I invite the witnesses to make their presentations I advise them that they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of utterances at this committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease making remarks on a particular matter and continue to do so, they are thereafter entitled to only a qualified privilege in respect of their remarks. They are directed that only comments and evidence related to the subject matter of this meeting is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any Member of either House of the Oireachtas, a person outside the Houses or an official in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

As I said, the witnesses are both very welcome. We are delighted to have the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland here. We have had other chambers of commerce, including the Arab and British chambers of commerce. We were to meet the American Chamber of Commerce before but the meeting had to be postponed. I invite Mr. Cotter to make his opening remarks before we take questions from committee members.