Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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219. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 4 of 11 February 2025, and the first meeting of the panel having taken place during the Taoiseach’s visit to Washington DC last month, the composition of the new US-based strategic economic advisory panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20272/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The extensive economic relationship between Ireland and the United States delivers prosperity and employment on both sides of the Atlantic. Protecting and developing the two-way trade and investment is a priority for me at a time of significant turbulence in the global trading environment.

Securing insights on how best to position Ireland to navigate the international trading environment in the coming period will be critically important. The views of private sector stakeholders can assist the Government’s efforts to identify opportunities, navigate challenges and ensure Ireland’s competitiveness into the future.

The US based Strategic Economic Advisory Panel is a specific commitment in the Programme for Government and it allows the Government to hear from senior US-based business people on key economic challenges and opportunities for Ireland.

As you reference, during the Taoiseach's St Patrick's Day visit to Washington D.C., the Taoiseach met with a number of participants in the Strategic Economic Advisory Panel. This was the first meeting of the group. Future engagements may be in-person, by phone or online.

The Strategic Economic Advisory Panel is designed to be a flexible structure, to ensure that the Government can draw on the analysis and expertise of senior US-based experts with links to Ireland on specific business and economic issues as and when relevant; as such there is no official membership. Participants at the recent meeting were drawn from recommendations from our diplomatic network and State agencies in the United States.