Brian O'Shea
Question:14 Mr. O'Shea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans there are for participation in the EXPO 2000 exposition in Hannover and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11967/00]
Written Answers. - EXPO 2000 Exposition.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the plans for Ireland's participation in the EXPO 2000 exposition in Hannover are now well advanced. Indeed, I had the honour to attend a ceremony on Wednesday, 12 April last, to mark the completion of the construction of the Pavilion of Ireland in Hannover.
EXPO 2000 is the first world exposition of the new millennium and the first world exposition ever to be held in Germany. It will take place in Hannover from 1 June to 31 October 2000.
The Deputy will be aware that Germany is the largest economy in Europe and the third largest economy in the world. Ireland enjoys strong political and commercial ties with that country, as instanced by the fact that Germany is now Ireland's third most important trading partner, our second biggest export market and our third largest source of visitors to Ireland. In 1998, for example, there were 310,000 visits to Ireland by German residents.
It was in recognition of this that I was pleased to recommend to Government that Ireland should participate in EXPO 2000 and that the Government decided to participate in February 1998. Funding of £9.1 million has been made available for this project, reflecting the considerable importance which the Government attaches to it.
Ireland's participation in the World Exposition, EXPO 2000, will take place under the theme "Experience Ireland" and will be made up of a newly constructed pavilion in the prestigious European Boulevard, the promotion of the widest possible national agenda by the State developmental and promotional agencies and an extensive cultural and events programme throughout the five months duration of EXPO 2000 which will promote Ireland's culture and also assist the State agencies in their task.
The German authorities have chosen "Humankind-Nature-Technology; a New World Arising", as the theme for EXPO 2000, and "sustainability" is the strong underlying theme. I commend this thematic choice because it is intended to represent an optimistic statement by the world community, at the start of a new century and the third millennium, that the new technologies can and will be harnessed to serve humankind by means of new innovative strategies which will promote economic and social development while preserving and conserving nature and the environment.
The design of Ireland's pavilion at EXPO 2000 is entirely faithful to the underlying EXPO 2000 theme of sustainability. The Dúl Consortium – comprising Murray O'Laoire Architects, Orna Hanly Architect, Boyle Design Group, X Communications and Luke Dodd, Curator – have incorporated the principle of sustainable design in their use of materials and especially by means of the building's thermal management regime, which avoids the use of mechanically-generated energy consumption. The pavilion exhibition, which is being undertaken by Display Contracts International Limited of Dublin, fuses elements of traditional museum display, specially commissioned artwork, state-of-the-art interactive presentations, and special sensory effects to take the visitor on a "journey" through Ireland from pre-history to the present day.
As I have already suggested, the location of EXPO 2000 in Germany provides important opportunities for our State promotional and development agencies to promote the widest possible national agenda. Agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, Bord Fáilte Éireann, Bord Bia, FÁS and IDA Ireland will be promoting Ireland as a location for inward investment, superb and diverse tourist attractions, the sourcing of Irish food and drink products of the highest quality and excellent employment and career possibilities.
Deputies will agree when I say that Ireland's national agenda should not be confined to economic and commercial considerations. I am pleased to inform the House that we have organised an extensive cultural and events programme for EXPO 2000 which will promote what Ireland is particularly renowned for – the innovation, creativity and imagination of our people.
Some 450 Irish artists, performers, musicians, writers and dancers will gather in Hannover for Ireland's culture and events programme at EXPO 2000. It is not possible for me in the time available to provide the House with full details of the programme, but the highlight will certainly be the performance of a specially commissioned composition of music for percussion and orchestra by the celebrated Irish musician, Donal Lunny. The RTE Concert Orchestra will perform this composition on the occasion of Ireland's National Day at EXPO 2000 on 28 June next in Hannover, and I will have the honour to accompany the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, to these national day celebrations.
I would invite Deputies and the general public to visit my Department's specially dedicated website to mark Ireland's participation in EXPO 2000 in order to obtain further details. The website can be accessed at www.EXPO2000.ie.