John Bruton
Question:3 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Chrétien; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15787/99]
Ceisteanna–Questions. - Official Engagements.
Ruairí Quinn
Question:4 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the discussions, if any, he has had with the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Jean Chrétien, during his visit to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15826/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.
The Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, and Mrs. Chrétien accompanied by parliamentary and business delegations visited Ireland last week. I met the Prime Minister on Monday, 14 June in Government Buildings. We discussed a number of matters of mutual interest, including the situation in Kosovo, EU-Canada relations, Ireland's candidacy for election to non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council – I thanked the Prime Minister for the support of the Canadian Government – and trade and investment issues, especially in relation to e-commerce.
I was very interested in hearing the Prime Minister's views following his visit to Northern Ireland. I expressed our appreciation of the unstinting support of the Canadian Government for the peace process, especially the successive roles which General John de Chastelain has played, particularly in co-chairing the talks and currently in chairing the International Decommissioning Body. I also acknowledged the valuable contributions being made by Judge William Hoyt, former Chief Justice of New Brunswick, who sits on the Bloody Sunday Inquiry and of Professor Clifford Shearing on the Policing Commission.
I was also pleased to have the opportunity to thank the Prime Minister for the recently announced renewal of Canada's contribution to the International Fund for Ireland for the next three years. Canada has been a loyal supporter of the fund since its beginning in 1986, with contributions to date of CAN$4.15 million. The Canadian contribution has been used for the very important work for young people in disadvantaged areas from both traditions, including through the Wider Horizons programme. The renewal of Canada's contribution will allow the fund to continue with its work of promoting reconciliation. The Prime Minister met many of the Wider Horizons programme graduates when he was in Belfast.
At a dinner in honour of the Prime Minister and Mrs. Chrétien in Dublin Castle that evening, I took the opportunity to announce that the Irish Government would provide funding of £100,000 for the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation for the establishment of an undergraduate programme of Irish studies at Concordia University, Montreal.
This was in recognition of the support and generosity of the people of Canada and not least the people of the Prime Minister's province of Quebec, in welcoming the many emigrants from Ireland, especially during the famine years and also of the constructive engagement of Canada in the peace and political processes relating to Northern Ireland.
Were any arrangements made for a reciprocal visit by the Taoiseach to Canada? Were any particular trade or joint venture proposals discussed between the Canadian and Irish authorities? Does he recall that last year one of his Ministers of State – I think it was Deputy Ó Cuív – flew the kite that Ireland might join the Commonwealth and as Canada is one of the most prominent members of the Commonwealth, is this still on the agenda or is it merely a kite that is being flown—
Only for Connemara.
—or was this discussed?
That matter was not discussed. On trade related matters, the trade balance is very much in our favour and the Canadians are very happy with that. A number of their Ministers with responsibility for technology and business were here with them. They undertook separate visits. In terms of agreements, trade and continuing developments, there was a good deal of business. I do not have the specific information on that, but IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and others were involved. Increasingly there has been an opportunity to transact more business with Canada and we have been moving in that direction for the past five, six or seven years. The trade figures on our side are very good and the investment figures are also quite good. The Canadians would like to see Irish business people try to balance up the situation and for them to engage in more activity in Canada. That has not been the case to date, although exports, mainly of software products, are high.
The Prime Minister invited me to visit Canada some time in the future, but a date has not been set for such a visit. It certainly will not be this year.
Canada is a partner with Ireland in the 11 country initiative to ban nuclear weapons. Was that issue discussed in terms of how the initiative could be advanced during the Prime Minister's visit here? In the context of the growing trade that is in Ireland's favour, which the Taoiseach outlined in response to the previous question, has further thought been given to expanding our diplomatic representation outside of Ottawa to other parts of that large country to ensure that trade continues not only to develop but to develop in Ireland's favour?
The Minister, Deputy Andrews, or his officials had discussions on that matter. They have co-operated closely in working on that initiative of which the Minister, Deputy Andrews, was very much in favour. I do not think they made any further progress but the Prime Minister certainly has a personal interest and he is one of the people who has been promoting activity and progress on that area.
There was not any discussion or request about our representation, but it is an issue. Canada is an enormous country and, as in the case of China, we lose out because we are not based in a number of locations. That matter is being addressed in those countries. New embassies are being set up in Latin America. One will be set up in Mexico later on this year and we are considering setting up one in Brazil. They are costly—
They are very cost effective.
They are. We have spoken about this a number of times during Question Time. Our representation on the trade side for China has been based in Singapore for all these years, which made matters impossible. A growing number of Irish people in the food area and agricultural produce area are doing business and there is enormous growth in that market. It has enormous potential. I do not know if Deputy Howlin met the Chinese parliamentary delegation that was here last week but it emphasised that point, and I mentioned it the other day during Question Time.
In relation to Canada, there was no particular discussion on our representation there, but as we move out to trade with other countries across the world, this is an issue we must consider. Technology and IT products are a huge market in the world and we are the second highest exporter of wide software products in the world. That is great news, but to stay at that level we must strategically use our trade people and representatives in our embassies and agencies. A decade ago the idea of transacting large quantities of business in China, Canada or Latin America would probably not have been very realistic but it is today. We are a big player in these markets and the multi-nationals here are big players in them. I support the idea of moving that trade house out and in that regard we are concentrating on Latin America, particularly on Mexico and Brazil.
I welcome what the Taoiseach said. In relation to the first part of my question regarding the initiative of the Minister, Deputy Andrews, to ban nuclear weapons, the Taoiseach said that the Prime Minister, Mr. Chrétien, has a particular interest in it. Perhaps the Taoiseach should also take the initiative to that level and see if Ireland could play a pro-active role in carving out international opinion in favour of banning nuclear weapons.
I welcome what the Taoiseach said on the second matter. Will he commit himself to pro-actively consider the representation of Ireland to Canada, given the unique population there some 14 per cent of whom say they are of Irish descent? Canada is an enormous country geographically and there is great potential for growing trade. I remember someone said to me some time ago—
This is Question Time, Deputy.
With the agreement of the Taoiseach, I will continue. It was said to me some time ago that the entire Irish foreign service is the equivalent of the numbers employed in the British Embassy in Washington. We get great value for what we have, but it is something we should consider expanding.
We must consider how best it can be done by using our trade people and representatives in our agencies and embassies. In regard to China, we developed a particular model, which we are now using in trying to move matters forward. We will consider what would be the best approach in regard to Canada. We are already working on Latin America.
There are a number of Irish people in Canada who have been successful in business there. Will the Taoiseach consider contacting them to seek their advice as to what would be the best way of dealing with further representation in Canada? We have voluntary ambassadors, so to speak, in many countries and it is a shame that their expertise and loyalty to this country is not used more.
I am always open to that. Some Members and I met a powerful Irish American economic group last night. This is the week of the Budweiser Derby, which started some 15 years ago and a huge number of Americans visit Ireland for the Derby. This week they include ten groups of business people, many of whom are here for the first time. Last year, when I was in Canada I had an ad hoc meeting with some Irish business people working there. The head of the top bank in Canada is from Ireland and there are several other prominent Irish business people working there. One gains great value in meeting these people.
Incidentally, this weekend I should have met a formidable group of Irish business people in Brazil, the number of whom surprised me. It is perhaps better known that there are a number of Irish business people in Argentina. Irish groups are anxious to help.
We will have to get some footballers from them.