Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Murray for his excellent and detailed presentation. We will have a discussion now but I think the extent of this issue and its subject matter will warrant a further meeting between us. We can raise the issues and recommendations suggested by Mr. Murray with the relevant Departments and State agencies. Perhaps we could review the different issues early in 2018 because Mr. Murray has outlined the extent of the potential in this market.

Mr. Murray dealt with the need for a greater State presence in embassies with personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as representatives from the relevant State agencies, such as IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia and so on. I presume an essential requirement for private companies seeking to gain access to decision makers in Asia, be it in the major corporations or the State agencies in those countries, is the support of the ambassador and his or her staff and the representatives of other agencies. Does Mr. Murray experience the impact of the lack of personnel and does he see it as a key issue the need to resource more adequately the Irish representation in those areas?