Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 47: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of trade missions and where he has embarked on since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36868/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, following the transfer of certain trade promotion functions to my Department last year, Enterprise Ireland proposals for trade missions are submitted simultaneously to both myself 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 chair, also considers the overall programme of trade missions in the context of our priority markets. Trade missions are a valuable support to Irish business in developing markets abroad and are particularly important in the context of the export-led growth which is crucial to our economic recovery. As Chairman of the Export Trade Council I am working to ensure that we maximise the promotional opportunities generated by all Ministerial travel abroad whether on specific trade missions, such as those organised by Enterprise Ireland, or for other purposes. For my own part, since becoming Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I have sought to promote our economic and trading objectives whenever possible whether at targeted events organised by Enterprise Ireland or in the course of broader working visits abroad. My colleagues Ministers Jan O'Sullivan and Joe Costello have done the same in their role as Trade Ministers since March 2011.

In June of this year I travelled to London for Enterprise Ireland trade events, including a Green Economy dinner and a business breakfast hosted in our Embassy. In March, I had travelled to Canada for St. Patrick's Day where my visit provided the opportunity to meet with political and business leaders and take part in a range of trade and investment promotion events organised in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.

I visited Russia in November 2011 where I co-chaired a meeting of the Joint Economic Commission with Russia and signed an agreement on a programme for trade and economic cooperation between Ireland and Russia. I visited Japan and Korea in October 2011 and there was a strong economic dimension to my working programmes there, including through my participation in the Asia Pacific Ireland Business Forum in Seoul.

As the Deputy will be aware, I am undertaking a programme of travel related to Ireland's Chairmanship of the OSCE and, whenever possible, I have used these overseas visits to enhance Ireland's reputation and promote our economic interests. I also hope to visit China later this year with a strong focus on economic and trading issues.

My colleague, the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD, has led Enterprise Ireland trade missions to Turkey and Russia in March and June of this year respectively. He also intends to lead Enterprise Ireland's trade missions to Brazil in October and to South Africa in November and to also host an Enterprise Ireland trade event in Rome in the autumn. Prior to Minister Costello's appointment, his predecessor, Jan O'Sullivan TD, led a trade mission to Saudi Arabia and Qatar in October 2011 and to South Africa in November 2011. All of these trade missions featured very close co-operation between my Department, our Embassies and Enterprise Ireland.