Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
Vote 28 - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised)
5:30 pm
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Chair. I congratulate the Tánaiste and all his colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the other Departments and the missions abroad who contributed to a successful EU Presidency. The World Trade Organization budget line has been transferred to the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Given that the trade function is now assigned to the Tánaiste's Department, which has been renamed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, I find it strange that it is not responsible for World Trade Organization issues. Perhaps the Tánaiste can elaborate on why this change has been made in respect of the major trading regulatory body.