asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism the plan he has for the co-ordination of the promotion and marketing of Irish goods on world markets, for example, through the work of agencies such as Córas Tráchtála, An Bord Bainne, Córas Beostoic agus Feola, the Pigs and Bacon Commission and the Irish Sugar Company.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Exports Promotion.
5.
Córas Tráchtála has general responsibility to promote, assist and develop exports. With the exception of the Pigs and Bacon Commission which no longer exists, the other bodies mentioned by the Deputy have responsibilities for particular sectors of the food industry. I am satisfied that CTT constantly review arrangements with those other bodies so as to ensure maximum co-operation at a practical level. For example, those bodies participate in national stands organised by CTT at international fairs.
As the Deputy is aware, the Government have established a group of Ministers of State to review the involvement of Government agencies in the food industry with a view to ensuring that they operate in a fully co-ordinated manner and to identifying gaps or duplication in their operations. The group consists of the Minister of State at the Departments of Foreign Affairs (Chairman), Industry Trade Commerce and Tourism, Agriculture and Fisheries and Forestry. The group is currently examining submissions made by various interests including the bodies mentioned.
The Minister has tidied up the situation at home in relation to the IDA, IIRS and the ICC. Because of our huge exports, does the Minister agree that many valuable markets have been lost because of duplication and because of the fact that no one is responsible for some of our exports. CBF are responsible for promotion and if CTT had responsibility for the co-ordination of all our marketing abroad, does the Minister agree that we would have much more streamlined sales and promotions?
I am glad that one of the first achievements of the Ministers of State group was the arrangement of detailed working arrangements between Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the CTT to maximise export promotion of fish. The group are now working on other agencies and they received submissions from 26 interests in the food and food-related sectors which they are currently considering. I agree that the maximum degree of co-operation is needed between existing agencies and the very fact that this group was established is recognition that there have been problems in this regard up to now.
Would the Minister care to comment on the views expressed by the Minister for Agriculture as reported in today's Irish Independent during the course of a press interview which he gave in Berlin within the last day or two, in which he strongly criticised the activities of the staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs? He said they were not playing their part in promoting Irish goods.
It hardly arises on this question.
The standard response to that kind of question is, "It is not my normal practice to comment on newspaper reports". The Deputy may have used that on occasion when he was on this side of the house.
I accept with great regret the answer given to my supplementary question. Is the Minister aware that the views expressed by the Minister for Agriculture, Deputy Deasy, in the last few days are in total conflict with his own views?
There is a question on the Order Paper about that.
I know. I put it there. Are the views of the Minister for Agriculture also the views of the Government?
I have not read the report referred to by the Deputy. I have had discussions with the Minister, Deputy Deasy, about this matter from time to time. To the best of my knowledge he is very keen that the embassies abroad should play a more active role in the promotion of Irish exports. That is something with which the Minister for Foreign Affairs and I, as Minister for Trade, would heartily agree.
Has the Minister any plans to have discussions with the Minister for Foreign Affairs about augmenting the embassies staffs with a view to their becoming more centrally involved in the co-ordination and promotion of Irish products? Are there sufficient commercial people employed in the embassies?
If we had extra staff available to us it would be a matter for argument as to whether they should be located in CTT or in one of the specialist agencies or in the embassies. One would make a pragmatic decision on that matter depending on the country and the product it was hoped to export. I do not think we can make a generalised statement of the kind the Deputy has in mind.
The Minister must surely be aware that one of the major difficulties in the promotion of products abroad is the total inadequacy of the personnel available and the resources for them. CTT have one person employed on a commission basis covering Egypt and Africa.
I do not have to hand a detailed list of the deployment of CTT staff.
The Minister should not have much trouble in remembering that. There is only one person to cover Egypt and Africa.
I do not accept that the staff is totally inadequate. However if we could get more staff it would be excellent. The staff we have in CTT are doing an outstanding job and I should like to avail of this opportunity to pay tribute to them. There are severe limits within which this Government must operate in so far as staff costs are concerned.
Members of this party will augment the staff in areas where they are understaffed.