Eoin Ryan
Question:26 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the initiatives, if any, he envisages arising from the Pittsburgh Conference on Trade and Investment. [18755/96]
Written Answers. - Pittsburgh Conference on Trade and Investment.
Brendan Smith
Question:30 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade his views on the tri-lateral business council proposed by the United States Secretary of State for Commerce; and when it will be set up. [18747/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 30 together.
The US Conference on Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and the Border counties took place in Pittsburgh on 6-8 October. Fifty Irish companies from both sides of the Border attended and participated in some 400 matchmaking meetings with representatives from 125 US companies. A number of these companies agreed contracts with their US counterparts and others will be following up closely on opportunities identified at the conference in the weeks ahead. The question of a trilateral business council for US, Northern Ireland and Border county initiatives was raised with me by the US Commerce Secretary, Mickey Kantor, at a bilateral meeting during the course of the conference. The purpose of the council, as envisaged by Secretary Kantor, would be to engage the private sector more fully in future cross-Border trade and investment activities.
Secretary Kantor and I agreed that the proposal required further elaboration in terms of the role and composition of the council and its relations with existing trade and business organisations. It is my understanding that the US Department of Commerce intends to explore the proposal further in the weeks ahead with the appropriate bodies on both sides of the Atlantic, particularly from the private sector, that are best placed to continue the business-to-business contact which was the central focus of the Pittsburgh conference.