Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all those who contributed to today's debate. It was interesting to hear all the contributions because everybody was speaking with the one voice. I particularly thank the three Ministers. It is not often one gets three Ministers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade here on a Friday afternoon, because foreign affairs takes one abroad. I note the heavy schedule of the three Ministers - the Tánaiste and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister of State, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister of State with responsibility for trade, Deputy Costello - in their work and I am delighted that they are here.

The fact that the debate has gone right up to 2 o'clock shows the interest in the report among the various committee members and also those non-members of the committee who attended the debate this afternoon. I particularly thank those who contributed to the report, not only the Teachtaí Dála but also the Seanadóirí. The committee is a very good one. It is a focused committee with an attendance of at least ten to 15 members at every meeting. I also thank those in the secretariat, without whom we could not have put this report together. They assist us with meetings and our visits abroad. Throughout the time this report was being prepared, we have had a number of clerks to the committee, including the present clerk, Mr. Brian Hickey. I also thank our policy advisers. I thank the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and his staff and also the Secretary General of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Trade, the various groups the committee met in preparing this report, and the committee members for asking pertinent questions which were of assistance in preparing the report.

The contributions this afternoon were constructive. It was interesting to hear highlighted in the Tánaiste's report the various engagements of the embassies abroad over the past 12 months. They supported 136 high-level visits across 52 countries, undertook 730 engagements in 2013, including 660 specific engagements to promote Ireland's economic position, and engaged with 1,150 representatives of the international media, and speeches and public presentations by embassy staff promoted Ireland's interests directly to an audience of nearly 1 million people. That in itself speaks volumes about the work done by the Department on Ireland's economic recovery. That is why this report has been important. I am delighted to see that the Department supported all of the suggestions we put into this report.

Deputy Smith spoke about the Ireland House concept. We have seen how important the Ireland House concept is, especially in New York. I pay tribute to the consul general, Mr. Noel Kilkenny, and his team, who do fantastic work there because all the agencies work together on one floor of Ireland House. The same can be said of Tokyo, as well as various other cities throughout the world. Because our network is so small, we and our agencies all need to work together to ensure we get the best for Ireland. One is competing with countries such as Denmark, with a similar population to Ireland, which has a considerable network and many staff working in its embassies. The Danes have special trade units. They have specialists dealing with all foreign agencies and with foreign companies. Our embassies are small but they do Trojan work. I am delighted that we are extending them into areas in Asia such as Jakarta and Bangkok, and I hope we will do so in the Philippines as well. I note the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, has just come back from the Philippines, where he has not only seen the devastation caused by last year's typhoon but also done some work on trade. It is extremely important to have those embassies working so closely together with all our agencies abroad.

St. Patrick's Day was highlighted by all who spoke this afternoon. I visited Washington and New York with the Taoiseach for St. Patrick's Day. We had a lot of meetings in places such as Capitol Hill, particularly on immigration reform, which in itself has much to do with trade, but we also met the US Chamber of Commerce, where the Taoiseach had access to top industrialists and others all over the United States. That important access is something one would never get anywhere else and that no other country can get, as is the access to the White House.

In addition, other Ministers, 27 of them, were all over the world promoting Ireland. That was evident in the tweets. Some Ministers are good at tweeting their schedule and, as the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, stated, the greening of Africa. I wanted to focus on that as well.

Some Members referred to the Taoiseach's visit to the Middle East after Christmas and mentioned that when we were in Iran the issue of human rights was not raised. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, were visiting those countries on an important trade mission. They were invited by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to promote Ireland and trade. We have various agencies that can raise trade and human rights. The committee is strong on human rights. As Deputies Eric Byrne and Maureen O'Sullivan stated, we raised those issues, but our visit to Iran was a bilateral parliamentary visit and we were able to do those things. Ireland is a member of the Human Rights Council in Geneva and these issues of human rights are raised constantly by our ambassadors at the Human Rights Council. Deputy Eric Byrne referred to China. If we were not doing business with China, with which there is €8 billion worth of trade, and various other countries as well, we would be isolated. There is a balance to be struck. The countries are aware that we have to raise those issues, and we will raise them, as we have done in the past, at the correct forum.

The Minister of State, Deputy Costello, did not mention the Africa strategy, but I read his speech. He has done fantastic work in trade and aid. Africa's economies are growing and improving, and we need to focus in on it. Although Ireland does not link aid and trade, there is a benefit for Ireland in focusing in on trade with African countries because of the high regard in which Irish Aid and Ministers are held abroad. We have, as Deputy Costello's speech states, ten embassies on the African continent and they all have a mandate to promote trade, as well as their development work.

Deputy Olivia Mitchell, in her contribution, referred to Nigeria. I note that the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, has visited Nigeria.

There is great potential for Ireland there, and there is great potential in Iran, given that there are significant resources there. I hope we will open an embassy there when circumstances permit.

I admired the contribution of the Minister of State, Deputy Donohoe. He looked back at the archives in his document on Irish foreign policy. He has done some great work in his short time in the Department. Like me, he has been away a lot. It is good to have three Members from Dublin Central here in the Chamber all working closely together. We appreciate the work the Minister of State has done on that. My time is nearly up-----

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