Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised)
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
That will primarily be a choice for the Department of Foreign Affairs, to be honest. We will input into that. What I would say is that trade with Canada has increased significantly since the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, has been implemented, even in the absence of it being finally approved in Ireland, which is something I would like to do. However, I would like to see more investment in the opportunity for further growth in Canada. There is a huge Irish population there and a huge young Irish population there. It is a country and an economy that has a lot in common with Ireland and it is a very easy place to do business. I am not against what the Deputy is suggesting, but we would need to do a bit of work with the Department of Foreign Affairs to see if we are going to increase the footprint across Canada and on where to next, whether it is going to be Calgary or somewhere else.
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