Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 27: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his updated programme for his personal participation in trade missions during the remainder of 2011. [16291/11]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 41: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the trade missions he is due to take part in for the remainder of 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20096/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 41 together.

Trade missions are a valuable support to Irish business in developing markets abroad and particularly important in the context of the export-led growth which is crucial to our economic recovery. In general, proposals for trade missions to be led at Ministerial level are submitted by Enterprise Ireland on the basis of the priority markets being targeted by their client companies. Following the recent transfer of certain trade promotion functions to my Department from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland will in future submit such proposals simultaneously to both me and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, reflecting the close involvement of both our Departments in trade-related matters. The Export Trade Council, which I will chair and which will hold its first meeting later this month, will also consider the overall programme of trade missions in the context of our priority markets.

Both Minister Bruton and I are currently considering proposals from Enterprise Ireland for trade missions during the remainder of this year. I can assure the Deputies that my colleague, the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Jan O'Sullivan TD, and I, intend to be active in promoting trading opportunities both through specific missions proposed by Enterprise Ireland and in the course of other working visits abroad. I intend to visit Japan and Korea, both priority markets, in October and there will be a strong economic dimension to my working programmes there, including through my participation in the Asia Pacific Ireland Business Forum in Seoul on 14 October 2011. I also anticipate that there will be a meeting of the Joint Economic Commission with Russia during a visit I intend to make to Russia in the Autumn.