Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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344. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which his Department continues to pursue trade and market opportunities throughout the European Union and beyond with a view to compensating for losses arising from Brexit or other geopolitical activities or development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25984/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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350. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which his Department continues to pursue market opportunities for products globally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25990/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 350 together.

My Department, in collaboration with other Government Departments and State Agencies, works to support Irish businesses identify new opportunities for their products and services by diversifying into new markets as well as intensifying efforts in existing markets.

The Government’s new trade and investment strategy, Ireland Connected: Trading and Investing in a Dynamic World , sets out our priorities in this regard and the actions to achieve them.

Under the strategy, we are committed to intensifying the number, focus, alignment, and market reach of trade and investment missions and events in 2017, in order to deepen existing relationships, open new doors to trade and investment, and forge new opportunities.

Our 80 strong network of Embassies and Consulates are playing a crucial role in delivering on this commitment and over the initial months of this year have been actively working with State Agencies, including through the Local Market Team structure in priority markets, to deliver a number of very successful trade visits and events, including over the Saint Patrick’s Day period.

These high level missions and events complement the ongoing year-round work of our Embassy network and agencies in-market, including Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Bord Bia, and Tourism Ireland, in promoting awareness of and confidence in Ireland as a place to invest, study, research, visit, live and do business.

In addition, a network of commercial attachés and economic development officers has recently been put in place by my Department in a select number of Missions (Jakarta, Mexico, Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Abuja, Nairobi and Bucharest) to offer support and facilitation in local markets to agencies and Irish companies. An additional post will soon be created in Hanoi.

My Department will continue to work closely with other Government Departments and State Agencies to deliver on the ambition of the new trade strategy, intensifying efforts to help Irish business trade more into Europe and across the world in response to global challenges.

The Export Trade Council, which I chair, brings together Ministers and heads of agencies with a focus on Ireland’s trade and investment and plays an important role in ensuring our coherence on these issues.

The Council is supported in its work by the International Trade Coordination Group (ITCG) a whole-of-Government group involving all Department and Agencies with a trade function. The ITCG meets once a month at senior official level and is chaired by the Trade Division of my Department.

We have also overhauled the system of budget support to all Missions so that they are better placed to further our High Level Goals, including Prosperity and the overall aim of promoting Ireland’s global visibility.