Vol. 547 No. 3
136 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures undertaken by her Department to promote trade and establish new markets with particular reference to the need to counter the downturn in the world economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3620/02]
As a highly globalised, open economy, it is clear that Ireland is not immune from developments in the international economic environment. Although we expect that total exports for 2001 will be higher than in 2000 – exports rose by 14% in the period January to November 2001, the latest period for which statistics are available, over the same period in 2000 – it is clear that the rate of growth has slowed substantially in the later part of the year.
Conscious of the ongoing need to assist Irish companies to develop markets abroad, I and the Ministers of State in my Department undertook 12 overseas promotional visits last year. These trips included trade missions with large numbers of participants and smaller events with a specific sectoral focus. Our intention is to continue this activity this year where there is a demand from the business sector.
In addition, Enterprise Ireland has undertaken to increase the tempo of its promotional activities over the coming year. Its activities will include becoming more proactive in finding and introducing international buyers to clients. In line with stated client needs, a stretch target has been set to maximise the number and quality of buyer-client interactions. This will be done by expanding the outward mission programme to emerging markets, for example, in India and Asia; working intensely on a one-to-one basis with a number of existing exporters to the EU with a view to increasing their market coverage and share; hosting events in key markets for clients to meet new buyers; and increasing the number of key buyers visiting clients in Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland's activities will also include improving the international marketing knowledge and capability of indigenous companies through the introduction of internationally based market experts to clients in Ireland through seminars and other group training initiatives; and continuing to undertake specialist market research for both sectors and individual clients. Its activities will further include continuing to increase the number of incubation centres-occupancy rates in key overseas markets, for example, in early 2001 we had two centres with ten units and in early 2002 we have 11 centres with 36 units.
