Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 199 of 29 March 2006 the mechanism available to a group to accompany such trades missions as that recently led to China by the Taoiseach. [13709/06]

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Any trade missions led by myself or the Minister, Deputy Martin, are generally organised by Enterprise Ireland. In such cases, that agency contacts its client companies in selected sectors to invite attendance, the type of companies being determined by the focus of the event in question. Enterprise Ireland then arranges a schedule of events for those companies who have decided to participate.

In the case of more extensive missions, such as that led by the Taoiseach to India in January last, in addition to involvement by a Minister from this Department and by client companies of Enterprise Ireland, these events also generally include participation by several Ministers from other Departments. In such instances, a wider group of stakeholders are consulted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and by the other relevant Departments to ensure participation by interested companies and organisations across a wider range of activities, in view of the broader focus of such visits.