Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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1797. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to have a food related trade mission to Canada before the end of 2025. [46725/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department has already undertaken trade promotion activities in Canada this year. My colleague Minster of State Timmy Dooley TD, visited Montreal, Ottowa and Toronto as part of the St. Patrick’s Day festival. During his visit, Minister Dooley had a number of engagements with Canadian Government Ministers, including with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development.

The recently published Government Action Plan on Market Diversification also includes a commitment to restart the Taoiseach-led Team Ireland Trade Mission Week, with Canada the selected location for late 2025. My Department will participate in this trade mission, for which planning is ongoing. 

The visit is timely as Canada is an important export destination for Irish agri-food, with exports of €168 million last year. Our agri-food exports to Canada have increased by 58% in value since the provisional entry into force of the CETA Agreement in 2017, largely driven by the spirit drinks sector.