asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans, if any, he has to have our embassies and diplomatic staff abroad more involved in the promotion of the country's trade.
Written Answers. - Functions of Irish Embassies.
26.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has always had as one of its primary aims the provision of assistance and support towards the promotion of Ireland's economic interests abroad especially through the promotion of foreign earnings, a concept which embraces the attraction of foreign investment to Ireland and the development of foreign markets for the export of goods and services. The degree and level of the Department's involvement — primarily through its embassies and diplomatic officers posted abroad — varies in accordance with different conditions and circumstances prevailing in various foreign countries and could depend on the nature of another country's economy, be it developed, State trading or developing, and the presence or not of officers of semi-State bodies in any particular country.
I understand that the Deputy is his then capacity as Minister for Agriculture acknowledged this role of the Department of Foreign Affairs in a statement issued by him on 31 January 1985 in which he stated that "over the years these representatives have become increasingly involved in trade matters and have made a major contribution to the progress that has been achieved in the export sphere".
The Deputy will no doubt be aware of the importance which this Government attach to increased trade and exports. Our views on this are set out in detail in The Programme for National Recovery and have been developed in a number of aspects on a number of recent occasions in the House by other Government speakers.
I should now like to inform the Deputy that I and my Department welcome the emphasis and enhanced role which these plans envisage for our embassies and diplomatic staff abroad and that I am currently engaged in consultation with my colleagues in Government to see how they can best be implemented. The Deputy will appreciate that constraints on financial resources require that maximum utilisation be made of existing resources and that efforts must in the first instance be focused on areas which can have the greatest return for minimum outlay. With these objectives in mind my Department is actively conducting a review of its resources and considering in consultation with other Departments what changes may be necessary.
Question No. 27 postponed.