Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Gibney and I congratulate her formally on her election to the House. I look forward to working with her collaboratively also. I thank her for the question.

The United States is in a period of change in its economic and trade policy as the new Administration establishes itself. Ireland had a good working relationship with President Trump's Administration during his previous term in office and we look forward to trying to build on that to support strong bilateral and economic ties in the coming years.

In this context, the Government needs to ensure we have structures in place to ensure we have access to expertise to identify the opportunities and navigate the challenges in our economic relationship. As part of this effort, I will be establishing a US-based strategic economic advisory panel. This panel will bring together a number of very senior US-based business people, at the invitation of the Taoiseach and myself, to provide their perspectives to the Government as we navigate a complex global economic environment. What is envisaged is that the Taoiseach and I, and other senior members of the Government as appropriate, will engage periodically with the group, either in person or virtually. As the seventh-largest investor in the US, with the top ten Irish companies in the US alone employing 115,000 people, this is very much a two-way partnership.

By way of information, the Government will use a similar model for the panel as we have in the past to draw on expertise and experience from our diaspora. The Global Irish Network is one such example. There are no plans for remuneration for participants.

In addition, I will chair a consultative group on international trade policy, which is being established. This is an important forum in which the Government will engage with key stakeholders in Ireland, including the private sector. The first meeting of that group will take place this month.

I should make two points. The strategic economic advisory panel is a panel as opposed to having a strict membership. The members will be invited to the panel by the Taoiseach and I by way of letter. The letter will set out the mandate or purpose of the panel rather than formal terms of reference. The membership will be drawn largely from recommendations of our embassy network and our State agencies working in the United States, but we are open to ideas and suggestions in that regard.

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