Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details on the recent trade mission that he led to Brazil; and his expectations of future bilateral relations with Brazil following his visit. [50097/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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President Michael D. Higgins, accompanied by my colleague, Mr Joe Costello T.D., Minister of State for Trade and Development, recently visited Chile, Brazil and Argentina. Their programme had a strong trade dimension. During the visit to Brazil, now the world’s sixth largest economy, Minister Costello led an Enterprise Ireland trade mission. The President’s visit to Brazil, and the accompanying trade mission, offered a valuable opportunity to raise Ireland’s profile in this high growth economy, which is a priority market in the Government’s Trade Strategy. Some 42 Irish businesses and third-level education institutions took part in the trade mission, spanning a wide range of sectors including telecommunications, financial services, and engineering services. Representatives of the State Agencies – Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and Bord Bia – also participated.

The President and Minister Costello met with Irish companies and their Brazilian partners and witnessed the signings of significant contracts in the commercial and education sectors. Two Irish companies opened new facilities, substantial new export contracts were secured by participating companies, and six Memoranda of Understanding were signed between leading Irish and Brazilian Universities and Institutions of Technology. Another key event was the launch of the participation of Irish third-level institutions in a Brazilian scholarship programme that focuses on Science and Technology. Under this programme, we look forward to up to 4,000 Brazilian students studying in Ireland at undergraduate level over the next four years, as well as up to 1,500 post-graduate students.

The President and Minister had a very positive meeting with Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff during which they discussed the growing bilateral relationship, in particular as regards trade and education, as well as international developments. I am delighted to learn that the assessment of the accompanying Irish businesses, third level institutions and State Agencies of the official visit to South America is highly positive. My Department and our Embassy network are committed to supporting Irish companies and third level institutions to make advances in this exciting market. I welcome that both the Mayor and Governor of Sao Paulo have announced their intention of sending, respectively, a trade mission and an investment mission to Ireland in the period ahead. Our Embassy in Brazil will be following up on these and other initiatives so as to ensure that we build on the opportunities created by this extremely successful visit.