Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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1730. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which new markets continue to be established for Irish food products. [20253/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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A key focus of Food Vision 2030, the strategic framework for the development of Ireland's agrifood sector, is to grow the value of our agrifood exports on international markets. Food Vision identifies a number of actions targeted at realising this value growth ambition. These actions include new market diversification and promotion activities.

My Department works closely with Bord Bia and the Irish agrifood sector to realise new opportunities particularly in markets with growing middle-class populations and rising disposable incomes. These markets are characterised by consumers with a significant demand for the high-quality, sustainable and safe dairy, meat, beverages and seafood produced by our farmers, fishers and processors.

In collaboration with Bord Bia and industry, a key component of my Department's efforts around Trade Promotion is a Ministerial led Trade Mission Programme. In 2024, Trade Missions were undertaken to the USA, China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam as well as to established European markets in the UK, France, Spain and Germany.

In April of this year, I led a successful visit to the United States, where I engaged with my US counterpart, Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, senior US political representatives in Washington DC, key US stakeholders and companies and Irish companies operating in the US, all with the purpose of highlighting the mutually beneficial trading relationship between the United States and Ireland.

Further Trade Missions planned in 2025 include Japan & Korea (including a visit to both the Seoul Food event and the International EXPO in Osaka, Japan) and China. These Trade Missions will provide an excellent opportunity to support the Irish agrifood sector in key markets for the high quality, sustainable food produced by our farmers, fishers and food processors.