Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent)
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103. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he would consider re-opening Ireland's trade and investment office in Taiwan, which was closed in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27726/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland, along with our EU partners, adheres to the One China Policy. This means that we do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and that we recognise the People's Republic of China as the legal representative of China. This does not preclude the development of economic, cultural, and people-to-people connections with Taiwan; nor the meaningful participation of Taiwan in relevant multilateral fora.

The European Union is represented in Taiwan by the European Economic and Trade Office, which seeks to strengthen economic and trade relations with Taiwan. There has been a Taipei Representative Office in Dublin since 1988.

IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland, actively manages the Taiwanese market from its Singapore office, as an integral element of their ongoing market development plan for the Asia Pacific region. IDA’s market experience indicates that the majority of Taiwanese companies are focused on China and the Asia Pacific region. In response to continuing trends identifying Singapore as the primary source of outbound FDI destined for Europe, IDA Ireland considers it prudent to maintain its presence in Singapore. Enterprise Ireland services Taiwan from its office in Hong Kong.

There are no plans by Government agencies to open a representative office in Taiwan.