Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

48. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the workings of the Export Trade Council, including the number of meetings it has held, the decisions made, and funding commitments allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36301/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Export Trade Council (ETC) meets at high level to oversee the progressive implementation of the recommendations set out in the Government Trade Strategy, Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy. It has met to date on four occasions, with the most recent meeting taking place on 14 February 2013. The next meeting will take place later this year. I have chaired each of the meetings held to date. The membership includes relevant Ministers, senior officials, the CEOs of State Agencies concerned with trade, tourism and investment and individuals from the private sector.

The ETC helps to strengthen cooperation and coordination across all Government Departments and State Agencies involved in the promotion and development of trade, tourism and investment, however, it is not a funding body. Rather, it evaluates progress made in achieving the targets for export, tourism, FDI and jobs growth set out in Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy and considers issues which influence the implementation of the Trade Strategy. For example, at our most recent meeting, the Council analysed opportunities for Ireland presented by the ongoing negotiation of a number of Free Trade Agreements between the EU and third countries, and the schedule of Enterprise Ireland trade missions for 2013, which Minister Bruton and I approved, was reviewed. Examples of other areas which have been examined in previous meetings are my Department's Africa Strategy; visa issues and their impact of trade, tourism and investment in Ireland; and the issue of education and skills, on which Minister Quinn has briefed the Council.