Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Arising from the Taoiseach's earlier reply on trade and the division of responsibility, I am disappointed with what is happening. When he announced the new Cabinet, it was clear that responsibility for trade policy was to be in the Department of Foreign Affairs, hence the name Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It seems there has been a resiling from that position and that now responsibility for trade policy will not be in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade but will continue to reside in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. Ambassadors in the Department of Foreign Affairs have always promoted trade. In the past two or three years they have had specific functions in this regard.

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