Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will identify and list who our likely top ten future non English-speaking trading partners will be in the short to medium term; and what is being done to facilitate the learning of the languages of those countries here. [10679/14]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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A list of our current top ten non English-speaking trading partners is set out below.

My Department, in close collaboration with the Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, co-ordinated the review of the Government Trade, Tourism and Investment Strategy which was published in February 2014. The review identifies 27 ‘High Value Markets’ and ‘Other Established and Developing Markets’, eight of which are in Latin America, Africa and Asia (Brazil, South Africa, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea). The review also allows for further scope for cultivating and developing trade and investment relationships with high growth markets in Asia, South America and Africa, with the introduction of seven ‘Exploratory and High Potential Markets’ including, Turkey, Nigeria, Mexico, Vietnam, Chile, Indonesia and Thailand. In addition, the recent announcement of the expansion of the Embassy network* is specifically designed to support greater levels of trade and inward investment.

The Department of Education and Skills have advised that there are a range of languages available for the Leaving Certificate in our schools. In addition to English and Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Arabic are available. There are also a suite of non-curricular EU languages such as Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian which students from those countries can present for in the Leaving Certificate. There is a Chinese module available as an option for the transition year programme and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is currently finalising a short course in Chinese language and culture for the new Junior Cycle, following its evaluation of submissions received as an outcome of a consultation process which finished last month.

The Government recently launched the Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) 2014, the third instalment of this plan. Under the APJ, the Government has committed to develop and publish a languages education strategy, including foreign language education, which will support Ireland’s ability to win business abroad and create jobs at home. Under the oversight of the Export Trade Council, which I chair, we will continue in 2014 to boost bilateral trade and investment with emerging markets, as well as Ireland’s key established markets.

*Embassies: Thailand (Bangkok), Indonesia (Jakarta), Croatia (Zagreb), Kenya (Nairobi) and the reopening of the Embassy in the Holy See.

Consulates General: Hong Kong, Austin and Sao Paulo.