Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the meetings he held in or around the Global Economic Forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41828/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The 3^rd Global Irish Economic Forum took place on the 4^th and 5^th of October and brought together members of the Global Irish Network and the Government, along with heads of third level institutions and semi-state bodies. The Forum discussion was very focussed on this occasion, with attendees being asked to consider the contribution that the Forum and the Global Irish Network could make to the Action Plan on Jobs. I attended the Forum and spoke at the opening session, and the closing Plenary alongside the Taoiseach. I also participated in a panel discussion on the theme 'Opportunities for Ireland in the UK and Europe', as well as a number of the closed-session working groups. As part of a commitment arising from the 2011 Forum to bring more tangible benefits of the Global Irish Economic Forum to indigenous Irish companies, I also participated in a side-event to the Forum which brought over 100 Irish SMEs together with Global Irish Network members to discuss scaling up for global business. The SMEs were drawn from Enterprise Ireland client companies, as well as officials and companies from Northern Ireland who were brought together by InterTrade Ireland.

Also attending the Forum this year was Helene Conway-Mouret, Minister for French Nationals Abroad. Minister Conway-Mouret has a long connection with Ireland, having lived here for many years. I took the opportunity to have a formal meeting with the Minister en marge of the Forum.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the achievements the Global Irish Economic Forum has made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42735/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The first and second meetings of the Global Irish Economic Forum, in 2009 and 2011 respectively, transformed the way in which the Government does business with leading international figures who are connected to Ireland. A number of initiatives emerged from both of these events which have achieved considerable success.Perhaps the best known of these is the Gathering, which is the largest tourism initiative ever organized by the State and which continues to attract visitors to Ireland. Connect Ireland, which aims to harness the power of Irish networks across the world in support of job creation, announced 83 new jobs in Dublin and Cork during the 2013 Forum.

Another initiative assisting Irish companies in expanding is the Global Irish Contacts Programme, which directly links the leading business figures abroad with Irish companies seeking to increase their exports. Developing on the Contacts Programme, the 2013 forum included an event which brought Global Irish Network members together with Irish SMEs to share knowledge and develop networks. The SMEs were nominated by Enterprise Ireland in the main but also included companies from Northern Ireland working with InterTrade Ireland.

Benefitting both Irish business and young graduates is the Farmleigh Fellowship, which is establishing a critical mass of highly skilled Irish professionals with first-hand experience of business in Asia.

The value of Irish networks is seen in the enhanced support for business & technology networks such as the Silicon Valley based Irish Technology Leadership Group.

A further achievement was President Clinton’s "Invest in Ireland" Forum in New York in February, 2012.

The outcomes of the 2013 Forum will be presented to Government shortly and a plan will be put in place to ensure that the hard work carried out over the two days is brought to fruition. The inclusion of Regional Roundtables and networking opportunities for SMEs, both north and south, will also hopefully produce tangible outcomes for Irish businesses.