Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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353. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if construction works have commenced on a new Ireland house in Tokyo, Japan; and if not, when works will commence. [43388/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland House Tokyo is a significant construction project under the Government’s Global Ireland 2025 commitment to double Ireland’s global outreach.  It will include a flexible economic promotion event and exhibition space as well as office accommodation for the Embassy of Ireland and a number of the promotional State agencies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland), and official residential accommodation.  

Japan has long provided Ireland with its largest trade surplus in the Asia Pacific region and is the largest source in the region for inward FDI investment into Ireland.  Two-way trade in goods and services combined exceeded €11.5 billion in 2019.  Over 6,000 Irish people are employed by Japanese FDI companies in Ireland, while almost 2,000 Japanese people are employed in Japan by innovative Irish companies.

The project is being undertaken in line with the Government’s Public Sector Spending code.  If all stages proceed to schedule, it is estimated that construction works will begin in 2022.