Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 80: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the contact he has had with the Canadian ambassador about increasing trade between Ireland and Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19771/11]

Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 81: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the level of trade between Ireland and Canada in each of the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19772/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 81 together.

Ireland has an excellent and long-standing relationship with Canada. Our trade links are particularly strong and growing. Canada is one of Ireland's top 20 trading partners with total trade over €1.5 billion. There is good potential for this to grow with Irish exports to Canada increasing by almost 30% in 2010. Canada has been identified as a high-potential market for Ireland under the Strategy and Action Plan for Irish Trade, Tourism and Investment to 2015. The local market team set up under the Strategy and chaired by our Ambassador has developed a detailed market plan and is already active in pursuit of specific targets identified by the State Agencies.

My Department works continually to develop our trade links with Canada and the Director General of the Trade and Promotion Division of my Department met recently with the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Loyola Hearn, in this regard. I myself have had an exchange with Ambassador Hearn on the matter and I will be seeking an early opportunity to meet with my Canadian Ministerial counterpart to build on the existing strong bilateral economic relationship between our two countries. I have asked my officials to explore the possibility of setting up an initial such meeting in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

The Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa is very active in the promotion of Ireland's economic and trading interests with Canada and is also working to restore Ireland's international reputation, which has been affected by the economic and financial crisis. Recent activity in this regard includes Embassy involvement in a Doing business in Ireland and the UK seminar in Montreal and Embassy representation at 34 events throughout Canada over the St Patrick's Day period. The Embassy also collaborated on the inaugural business summit organised in Toronto by the Ireland Canada Business Association. During a recent visit to Nova Scotia, the Ambassador met with a wide range of political and economic contacts in the province, many of whom expressed interest in collaboration, and increasing trade, with Ireland.

Enterprise Ireland also has an office in Toronto and is represented on the local market team chaired by the Ambassador. The Enterprise Ireland Canada office works with companies from a variety of sectors including telecoms, government and financial software, consumer, life sciences and third level institutes. So far in 2011, Enterprise Ireland has worked with approximately 85 companies on an individual basis and its office has also hosted and managed five delegations of Irish companies that were invited to explore the market. This included Market Study Visits to the Canadian Gift and Tableware show and the National Heavy Machinery show, advisory sessions for software companies targeting financial services and a Trade Fair presence for third level institutes at the NAFSA, the biggest annual gathering of international educators and Study Abroad advisors in North America. Exports to Canada by Enterprise Ireland clients rose 58% between 2007 and 2011.

I attach, as the Deputy requested a table outlining the level of trade between Ireland and Canada in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 based on the information that is currently available from the Central Statistics Office.

Source: Central Statistics Office