Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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63. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the engagements of the Minister of State for Trade and Development's recent Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission to Canada; the person who accompanied him on the visit; if he will outline in tabular form the trade figures between the two countries on a year-by-year basis from 2011 to present; if he expects this figure for 2013 to grow by the end of the year on foot on his recent travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28783/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Canada, which is the world's 10th largest economy, has been identified as a priority market under the Government’s strategy for promoting trade, tourism and investment, "Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy". Ireland’s merchandise exports to Canada increased by 11% in 2012 to over €780 million. Exports by indigenous Irish Enterprise Ireland client companies increased by 26% in 2012 to over €214 million. A more detailed breakdown of our trade with Canada in 2011 and 2012 follows this reply. The recent Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Canada, which took place from 11 to 14 June, was led by the Minister of State for Trade and Development at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Joe Costello. It was organised in close co-operation with my Department and the Embassy of Ireland to Canada. The Minister of State was accompanied on the trade mission by officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Embassy of Ireland in Canada and Enterprise Ireland. A key objective of the mission was to create and develop opportunities for Irish companies in the oil and gas industries in the province of Alberta. Fifteen Irish companies in the engineering, construction, technology and recruitment sectors participated in the mission. During the trade mission, the Minister of State met with Deputy Premier and Ministers of the Government of Alberta, as well as a range of Irish companies and their Canadian partners and customers. He delivered keynote addresses at networking events organised in conjunction with the Ireland-Canada Centre of Commerce in Calgary and the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce in Edmonton. He delivered a speech at a Seminar on European Innovation in the Canadian Heavy Oil Industry. In addition, he used the opportunities presented by engagement with the Irish-Canadian community to promote The Gathering.

Among the highlights of the trade mission were the conclusion of an agreement between PM Group and its Canadian Partner, Gas Liquids Engineering, which will see both organisations working together in the gas processing industry in Europe and across the world; a long-term contract secured by Decisions [D4H] with the Government of Alberta for the provision of their innovative software; and an event with Canadian business contacts to mark the recent opening by Tech Skills of its first office in Canada. I am confident that the contacts made and developed during this trade mission will lead to ongoing opportunities for Irish companies to increase their exports to the Canadian market and expand their engagement with new and existing Canadian partners. Trade missions are one of the ways in which we aim to support the Irish enterprise sector to develop trade, tourism and investment opportunities across the globe. Our Embassy network and state agencies overseas work hard to identify specific export and investment opportunities, build extensive business and political contact networks, lobby on market access issues and promote Ireland as a destination for tourism and for study. The Taoiseach and I look forwarded to discussing Ireland-Canada and EU-Canada relations with the Canadian PM, Stephen Harper, including our trading and economic relationship, when he visited Dublin from 15 to 17 June.

*Figures for 2012 services exports broken down by country will be available from the CSO in autumn 2013