Mr. Niall Burgess:

Deputy Eric Byrne asked about the inclusion of the third level sector and whether this was an omission in the previous forum. A few factors prompted its inclusion this year. First, the third level education sector has become very outward focused and organised collectively in promoting itself overseas. To some extent we were responding to that. To some extent we were also responding to a message that was coming across loud and clear from members of the Global Irish Network that the future success of our economy would be dependent on the capabilities of our third level education sector and its ability to succeed internationally. That is why it has been marked as a particular area for focus this year and perhaps should have been included more prominently in the previous network. There are a number of circumstances that mark it as being timely now.

On how we might identify the future generation, the Global Irish Network is one part of the overall networking work of embassies and consulates overseas. It is a modest enough part in the scale of things. For example, the consulate in New York has been working very closely with the Ireland-US Council, with the Ireland Funds, the American Ireland fund in particular, with the Irish business organisation, Irish International Business Network, and with a range of other smaller business networks as well. The Global Irish Network is part of a much bigger picture. The embassy in London is working with 20 business related networks. Some of them are sectoral. There is a financial services network and a lawyers' network. Some of them are alumni networks and so on. Every week they either host an event or attend an event by another Irish network.

Many of the future generation of Irish business leaders and members of the Global Irish Network are in those other networks. In London alone, there are up to 10,000 Irish immigrants who are members of these other networks. It is part of a much denser web of involvement and activity and all of that gives value and supports the work that the Global Irish Network has been doing. The Gathering initiative has benefited hugely from the ability of those networks to get the message out and to help organise events themselves and to plug into their own home towns.