Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply and I take it that he accepts that the establishment of this forum in the first instance and the subsequent establishment of the network was a very positive initiative by his predecessor. I compliment the Tánaiste for recently bringing the Irish ambassadors home for a detailed discussion over two days, which was a very positive initiative.

Will the Tánaiste outline the level of engagement on his part since his appointment with members of the network? In particular, when he was in the United States recently did he have the opportunity to engage with network members there? With regard to the impending forum scheduled for 7 and 8 October, what will be the significant difference between that and the previous forum? I note that the Taoiseach indicated there would be a larger number of interests involved in the upcoming event, suggesting there would be more of a follow-through on the ideas and proposals that emerged in the first forum. What steps has the Tánaiste taken to follow through on the proposals in the initial report?

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