Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

It is a work in progress at this stage.

In terms of the export trade council issue, there is already a Foreign Trade Council in existence which is made up of senior representatives from relevant Departments. The concept of that is to promote the brand Ireland, develop the St. Patrick's Day potential; and trade missions utilising the existing embassies. When the export trade council is established, what will be different about it from the Foreign Trade Council? There is a mixture of public and private sector involvement. The concern, which I am sure the Minister would share, is that we do not need another quango. We need to know what are the terms of reference and what is distinctive from the Foreign Trade Council.

What is the procedure for the appointment of personnel from the private sector? There has been much criticism of the appointments of the outgoing Government as it was about to leave office. Will the procedure for appointments come before this House so that we can scrutinise the capacity of the individuals appointed?

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