Statement on the report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on foreign trade promotion

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin T.D., has welcomed the publication today by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs of the report on “Ireland’s foreign trade promotion – developing markets for Irish exports.”

“Our economic recovery will be export-led,” the Minister said, “and Ireland’s network of Embassies and Consulates has a critical role to play in economic development.” 

The Minister welcomed the recognition in the report of the role which our Ambassadors and Embassies play in opening doors in foreign markets for Irish companies and said that, together with the Promoting Ireland Abroad Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, he is working with other relevant Departments and State Agencies to ensure their marketing campaigns operate in a co-ordinated fashion and in the context of clear and co-ordinated messaging on the strengths of the economy.

“The Committee’s report is a valuable contribution to the national debate on economic recovery,” the Minister added, “and is in keeping with the emphasis in the Renewed Programme for Government on building a high productivity, low-carbon, smart economy which will create new, quality jobs.”

The Minister said he would examine the findings and proposals in the report and that he looked forward to further engaging with the Committee. He recalled that significant progress has been made on the original objectives of the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh, namely to explore how the Irish at home and abroad could work together and contribute to economic recovery and to examine ways in which they could develop a more strategic relationship with each other in the economic sector.

ENDS++