Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 62: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on her recent visit to the United States of America; the locations she visited, with whom she met and the outcomes that will arise from the visit; if she has received a report from Enterprise Ireland detailing the benefits of her presence on this trade mission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41294/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recently published its five year international education strategy, Investing in Global Relationships, which outlines the strategic importance of international students to the Irish economy, and to long-term business relationships with our current and future trading partners. The USA remains the single most important country of origin for international students in Irish higher education institutions, but the vast majority are here on short-term programmes of one or two semesters. The US-based Institute of International Education recorded a 19% increase in the number of students studying in Ireland on short-term study abroad programmes in the 2008/2009 academic year, making us the ninth largest destination for US students, and the fastest growing destination after China. In this context, there is clearly potential to attract a greater number of US students to Ireland for full degree programmes. The education mission was the initial step in a process of targeting prospective students in this cohort. The aim of the education mission was primarily to target high school counsellors, who play a key role in guiding students about their higher education options, in Boston and Chicago and then visit the national conference of high school counsellors in St. Louis. Given the unavailability of a pair in the House, I was unable to travel on the Boston leg, and so the Secretary General of my Department was asked at short notice to lead the delegation. Once a pairing arrangement was in place, I joined the mission at the earliest possible occasion, leading the Chicago and St. Louis legs. Major engagements included: - Interviews with media outlets, including a group of Irish American media publishers; - working dinners with current and prospective IDA clients and Irish-American philanthropic organisations in Chicago and with the business and academic community in St Louis; - a promotional address and networking event with high school counsellors in Chicago; - meetings with senior leaders in the National Association for College Admission Counselling and the National Association of High School Scholars; - a visit to the Irish pavilion at the National Association of High School Scholars fair; - an economic address to the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago; - meetings with Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago and the President of the Chicago Board of Education; - a meeting with the senior leadership of Fontbonne University in St Louis. It would not be usual to receive a written report detailing the benefits of Ministerial participation. However, officials from my Department have met Enterprise Ireland to discuss effective follow-up to the mission, as part of the implementation process for the international education strategy.