Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The conference which it is intended to hold in September is a type of global economic forum bringing together people of influence and expertise from the diaspora, not alone from the US but worldwide to discuss developments in the economy over the next ten years. It will also consider where Ireland fits into that scenario and how it can develop a strategic view of its own policy framework in terms of whether there are other ideas, initiatives or approaches we need to consider. It will also seek to get the benefit of the ensuing expertise and insight from various people around the world so that Ireland and the Irish Government are up to speed with developments and in a position to identify where, over the next five to ten years, the drivers for growth for the Irish economy might be in terms of job creation and investment policy. I believe it is a positive exercise which is being well received and responded to.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs is taking up this initiative on behalf of Government and I look forward to it. It is, in a way, a wider version of the Ireland America Advisory Board in respect of those in the United States who have been helpful to us down through the years. Many of the heads of corporate America have been able to indicate to us the trends in technology and various important industries, including pharmaceuticals, IT and others and this has been helpful to us and the IDA in devising investment strategies and plans for some of those companies to locate here, many of which subsequently did so.

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