Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 44: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will indicate his strategy to establish new export outlets or trade links with EU and non-EU states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14954/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I and my colleagues in Government are firmly of the view that Ireland's economic recovery will be export led. In the Programme for Government, we committed to implementing a number of actions to achieve the maximum growth in exports, including the long-term development of new markets. One of the key actions in this regard is to progressively implement the recommendations in the Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy Strategy.

This Strategy is an action plan for improving trade, tourism and investment links with new and fast-developing markets. It sets out cross-sectoral priorities and a series of recommended actions that will enable the export sector to realise its potential for growth in coming years.

To take forward the recommendations within the Strategy and to coordinate our efforts to expand trade links in new and existing markets, the Government has also committed to establishing an Export Trade Council.

Under the new arrangements for trade promotion, my Department will have responsibility for managing the Export Trade Council, which I will chair. As well as Government and State Agency representatives, it will have private sector representation and draw on the experience of those directly involved in growing export oriented business.

This Council will examine how we can ensure that every opportunity possible is taken to develop links and enhance trade relations with existing and new partners, within and outside the EU, including in emerging high growth markets.

Discussions on the practical arrangements for the transfer of enhanced responsibilities for trade promotion from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to my Department are currently being finalised. Once this has been done, I intend to put in place arrangements for the first meeting of the Export Trade Council.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 45: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which he has been in contact with trading partners in the European Union and worldwide with a view to maximising export opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14956/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Trade and business events are included in my programme of meetings overseas wherever possible. In March I visited New York for St. Patrick's Day events before travelling on to Washington D.C. for a bilateral meeting with the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. In New York I addressed the Ireland–US Council and met with U.S. based Irish business networks. I also attended a Bank of America - Enterprise Ireland Technology Innovation event in which Irish high-tech companies met with some of the leading technology companies in the US. I visited London at the start of May where I met with the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Foreign Secretary William Hague, as well as a number of key Enterprise Ireland clients. On 13 May, I visited Oslo and had discussions with the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and a separate meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jonas Gahr Støre. More recently, I attended an OECD meeting in Paris at the end of May and took the opportunity to meet with the French Foreign Minister, Alain Juppé, as well as my counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, and to speak with them on economic matters. I also met with Enterprise Ireland clients while in Paris.

Building and strengthening Ireland's economic and trade links abroad is a key focus of the work of my Department, and its network of Embassies throughout the EU and the world. At last week's Ambassadors Conference I underlined the priority to be given to the promotion of Ireland's economic interests. The Government's objective is to ensure we get the maximum co-ordinated approach and impact from our entire presence abroad and give it a renewed focus on trade and business.