Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which inward investment has grown arising from the various trade delegations organised by his Department or in association with his Department on a worldwide basis in the past seven years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31658/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ministerial-led Trade Missions are an integral part of our work to develop and expand Ireland's exports to existing and new markets abroad. It has been the experience of my Department and of the companies participating in such missions that the presence of a Minister enhances the opportunities for the companies involved and achieves a higher level of recognition and access to the various markets. During my term as Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment since 2004, missions led either by myself or by the Minister for Trade and Commerce, have proven very successful and significant opportunities have resulted for the companies involved in expanding our trade.

As Trade Missions, the primary purpose of these visits is not primarily the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment. A separate and distinct series of Ministerial-led visits, organised in association with IDA Ireland, specifically pursues the attraction of such investment to Ireland. However, where possible and appropriate, I avail of the opportunity presented by my presence abroad on Trade Missions to meet with existing and prospective IDA company clients, to pursue investment opportunities in Ireland. There is an important incremental effect in pursuing such contacts at every opportunity and this is a significant factor in building up the level of Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland, which has resulted in over 1,000 foreign companies locating here, who currently employ over 135,000 staff.

Our success in developing our foreign trade markets and also in attracting Foreign Direct Investment is the result of a combination of the ongoing work of the relevant agencies and also of the Ministerial missions abroad. It is obviously not possible to disaggregate and measure the impact of specific Ministerial meetings, but the different elements all combine to achieve our present very satisfactory position, both in relation to our attraction of FDI and the expansion of our export markets.