Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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52. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline Ireland's trading relationship with Canada; and the extent to which the CETA trade agreement is improving that relationship. [46150/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland enjoys strong political, cultural and economic ties with Canada. Last year, Ireland celebrated 85 years of diplomatic relations with Canada, which has provided a strong foundation for trade between our two countries.

The economic relationship is thriving on both sides of the Atlantic. Canada is a key export market for Ireland, particularly for our indigenous exporters, with more than 400 Irish companies employing more than 6,000 people in Canada. There are currently 75 Canadian companies operating in Ireland, supporting more than 15,000 jobs.

The provisional application of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) since September 2017 has seen a significant increase in Ireland’s bilateral trade in goods and services with Canada. Irish businesses have benefitted from the elimination of tariffs on almost all key exports, access to the Canadian procurement market, the easing of regulatory barriers, and more transparent rules for market access.

In 2024, Ireland’s goods exports to Canada stood at €4.1billion, more than a fourfold increase (436%) on the pre-CETA export levels of €0.9billion in 2016. Services exports grew by 253% from €1.4billion in 2016 to more than €3.7billion in 2023, while services imports have grown from €0.3billion in 2016 to more than €1.7billion in 2023.

The Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to ratify this important agreement and the Government is committed to achieving this. The Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025, if and when passed, would make the necessary changes to Irish law to enable the ratification of CETA and other similar Free Trade Agreements.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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53. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline Ireland's trading relationship with Japan; and the moves that are being undertaken to improve that relationship. [46151/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s economic relationship with Japan is strong and growing, and trade and investment between our countries has more than doubled in the past decade, especially since the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) entered into force in 2019.  

Japan is Ireland’s second-largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region with annual two-way trade in goods and services now exceeding €21 billion. As the fourth-largest economy in the world, the Japanese economy presents particular opportunities for Ireland in terms of economic and knowledge partnerships, especially in technology, pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, engineering, agri-food and financial services. Japan is also a like-minded partner for Ireland on the global stage, a country which shares our commitment to the international rules-based order and a multilateral trading system.

Strengthening our two-way economic partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region is a key strategic priority for my Department. This is particularly true for our relationship with Japan, a longstanding partner for Ireland.

In 2022 Ireland and Japan signed a Joint Statement, which established an agenda to take existing relations to a new, higher level over the next decade. My Department continues to work on the implementation of this shared agenda and efforts to strengthen the trading relationship with Japan. In this context, this year has seen the realisation of two major capital investments led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: the completion of Ireland House Tokyo, a new location for the Embassy and State Agencies; and Ireland’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka. These investments will serve as a platform for Ireland to further strengthen its economic links with Japan in the years ahead.

Throughout this year, as part of a whole-of-government approach, there have been a significant number of Ministerial visits, including the Taoiseach, to Japan which will be instrumental in strengthening Ireland's existing political and economic ties there.

This activity very much supports the objectives of the recently announced Government Action Plan on Market Diversification which sets out a whole-of-Government commitment to support Irish businesses to adapt to the evolving global trading environment by striking out into new and diverse markets and deepening their engagement in existing markets. The Government Trade Forum will monitor the implementation of the Action Plan, ensuring that there is direct engagement with business organisations.

My Department is committed to building on the success of our participation at Expo 2025 and the establishment of our flagship Ireland House in Tokyo, helping to expand relations with Japan, our valued partner and key market for Ireland.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline Ireland's trading relationship with Poland; and the moves that are being undertaken to improve that relationship. [46152/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland enjoys strong trade relations with Poland. Bilateral trade has grown strongly, particularly since Poland’s accession to the EU, and in 2023, two-way trade was over €8.5 billion.

Since 1996, foreign direct investment in Poland by Irish companies is estimated at approximately €3.2 billion. Over 100 Irish companies have a full-time presence in Poland, including growing areas like advanced construction, data centres and cybersecurity.

Ireland’s Embassy and State Agencies in Warsaw work to advance Ireland’s trade objectives with Poland. Both Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia have offices in Warsaw, co-located with the Embassy. All members of Team Ireland work closely together to support Irish businesses and seek opportunities for deepening trading relations.

At the Political level, there have been a number of high-level visits to Poland in 2024 and 2025, including three visits by the Taoiseach. Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary led trade missions to Poland in both 2023 (to Warsaw) and 2024 (to Wroclaw and Warsaw). Further Irish businesses delegations are expected to visit Poland in the coming months, including to attend major conferences on Data Centres, and Reconstruction in Ukraine.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline Ireland's trading relationship with Taiwan; and the moves that are being undertaken to improve that relationship. [46153/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland, along with our EU partners, adheres to a One China Policy. This means that we do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and that we recognize the People's Republic of China as the legal representative of China. However, 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.  

According to the latest available data from the CSO, in 2023 Ireland imported goods worth approximately €1.4 billion from Taiwan, accounting for 4% of our total imports from Asia. Ireland's goods exports to Taiwan in 2023 were worth almost €450,000. Ireland's trade in services with Taiwan in 2023 amounted to €1.9 billion in exports and €1.2 billion in imports.

IDA actively manages the Taiwanese market from its Singapore office. Enterprise Ireland manages client needs for Taiwan through its Hong Kong office. 

Since 2013, Ireland has also operated a reciprocal Working Holiday Arrangement with Taiwan, which allows up to 400 Taiwanese passport holders to apply for a 12-month working holiday visa to live and work in Ireland, and vice versa. The programme is an initiative which aims to build people-to-people and economic links, and contributes to our relationship with Taiwan, within the boundaries of our One China Policy. 

The European Union is represented in Taiwan by the European Economic and Trade Office, which seeks to strengthen economic and trade relations with Taiwan.