Dáil debates

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

 

Departmental Agencies

4:00 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

The idea of introducing trade into the Foreign Affairs brief is to get a better focus from the diplomatic service on the need to make those embassies the selling point for Ireland, both in investment and in trade. The need to use that instrument in which we invest to best advantage is shared widely across the House. To be fair, many of those embassies are already doing that. That is the logic of including trade under the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Clearly, that transfer will take time. The development of the new export trade council will be done jointly, with the Tánaiste as a key player.

The introduction of private sector players is believed to bring greater focus in that the needs of business are brought directly into the mix when strategies are worked out.

We are not losing momentum. Local teams for the promotion of trade and tourism investment, including State agencies and local ambassadors, have been working and developing plans. That work is ongoing. However, the method of appointment and detailed terms of reference have not yet been decided. I recognise, as I did in my earlier response, the Deputies' concern. We are not trying to create big quangos. We believe that, owing to the need to export and the depressed state of the domestic market, we must maximise the impact of the foreign resource and sweat these assets. That is the purpose of this work.

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