Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 87: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the persons who are members of the export trade council; the number of times same will meet; and the remit of the council. [28555/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I chaired the first meeting of the Export Trade Council, on Thursday 29 September 2011. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, as well as the Minister of State for Trade and Development also participated in the meeting. Other relevant Government Departments were represented at senior official level and the Chief Executive Officers of relevant State Agencies were also present.

In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, the private sector is represented on the Council. Representatives of IBEC and the Irish Exporters Association as well as a number of individuals from private sector companies with a track record in the export sector participated in the first meeting. The full list of Council members is set out in the list for the Deputy's information. The participation of private sector participants in the Council is on a voluntary basis and is without remuneration. As a high-level body, the Council will convene up to three times annually. Under its Terms of Reference, a copy of which I attach for the Deputy's information, working groups may also be established to examine specific topics between plenary meetings if necessary. I intend to hold the second meeting of the Council early in 2012.

The Council will strengthen cooperation and coordination across all Government Departments and State Agencies involved in the promotion and development of trade and exports. The Council subsumed the existing Foreign Trade Council and will oversee the progressive implementation of the recommendations set out in Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy published last autumn.

The Council will strengthen cooperation and coordination across all Government Departments and State Agencies involved in the promotion and development of trade and exports. The Council subsumed the existing Foreign Trade Council and will oversee the progressive implementation of the recommendations set out in Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy published last autumn.

Chair- Eamon Gilmore T.D., Tánaiste and |Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Richard Bruton T.D, Minister for Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

Leo Varadker T.D., Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport

Jan O'Sullivan T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

John Callinan -Department of the Taoiseach

Aidan O'Driscoll- Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

Niall O Donnchú- Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Alan Wall - Department of Education and Skills

Willie Funnell – Revenue

Aidan Cotter - Bord Bia

Eugene Downes - Culture Ireland

Frank Ryan - Enterprise Ireland

Martin Shanahan - Forfás

Barry O' Leary - IDA- Ireland

Acting Director General - John Travers-Science Foundation Ireland

Niall Gibbons - Tourism Ireland

Representatives of the private sector who have agreed to participate in the work of the Council for the coming year are;

Ruth Andrews - Irish Tour Operators Association

Pat Beirne - Mergon International

Breda Maher - Cooleeney Cheese

Tom McCabe - Teva,

James McMahon - CG Power Systems

John Moloney – Glanbia

Tony Murphy - Daon

Pat O'Connor - Marine Harvest,

Pól Ó Moráin - Enterprise Lab

Mairead Sorenson - Butlers Chocolates

Greg Timmons – Takeda

John Hearne - Curam Software Ltd

John Whelan- IEA (Irish Exporters Association)

Danny McCoy – IBEC (Irish Business and Employers Confederation)

Danny McCoy – IBEC (Irish Business and Employers Confederation)

In accordance with the commitment in the Agreed Programme for Government, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, will chair the Export Trade Council to strengthen cooperation and coordination across all key Departments and State Agencies involved in promotion and development of trade and exports. The Council will oversee the progressive implementation of the recommendations set out in the Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy strategy and action plan and will subsume the role of the previous Foreign Trade Council.

In addition to the Tánaiste, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Minister of State for Trade and Development and the Minister of State for Research and Innovation will participate in the Council. The following Departments and State Agencies will be represented on the Council, where indicated above at Ministerial level, or at least at Assistant Secretary General or Chief Executive Officer, as appropriate.

Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Department of Education and Skills

Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Department of the Taoiseach

Department of Transport Tourism and Sport

Office of the Revenue Commissioners

Bord Bia

Culture Ireland

Enterprise Ireland

Forfás

IDA- Ireland

Science Foundation Ireland

Tourism Ireland

The Tánaiste will invite one representative each from IBEC and the Irish Exporters Association to participate in the Council and he will also invite up to twelve individual representatives from the private sector with appropriate experience to participate in the work of the Council on a yearly basis. The Council will meet not less than twice annually and will:

1. Oversee the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan for Irish Trade, Tourism and Investment to 2015.

2. Provide guidance to the local market teams chaired by the Ambassador of Ireland in priority markets and including representatives of the relevant State Agencies.

3. Review the annual local market plans for these priority markets and reports on their implementation as well as technical progress reports on targets in relation to each priority market from Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland, IDA- Ireland, Tourism Ireland.

4. Establish temporary working groups to examine specific topics between its plenary meetings if necessary.

The role of the Export Trade Council will be reviewed at end of its first year in operation as part of the review of the new arrangements for trade promotion put in place by the Government.