Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

That is the subject of a later question and I do not wish to upstage the Member who tabled it. In answer to the Deputy's query, it is a small number of officials. Enterprise Ireland undertakes much of the planning of these trade missions by organising an array of companies which are relevant to the development of trade opportunities in these target markets. We work with the diplomatic representation and this is how the collaborative process evolves. This is not a competition between my Department and the Tánaiste's Department. The number of staff seconded is small but this reflects the fact that much of the spade work is done by Enterprise Ireland with regard to companies with relevant contacts and by the locally-based officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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