Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
188. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which new markets for Irish manufactured goods can be or have been identified with a view to maximisation of beneficial economic impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35406/20]
View answerNow more than ever, it is important to assist Irish companies increase their presence in existing markets and expand into new ones. The exporting sector will continue to be a strong engine for growth and jobs in the Irish economy as we rebuild after the pandemic. Over half of companies expect to grow their exports next year and that 83% expect to hire new staff. This is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of Irish business owners.
Irish business is facing two major challenges – to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and mitigate any disruption to trade from the impending Brexit deadline. The government has provided targeted grants and advisory services to address both these vital issues through our agencies, including Enterprise Ireland and I would urge every exporting company to seek advice and support now.
Enterprise Ireland’s primary remit is the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. Working in partnership with client companies, the agency assists Irish enterprise to start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets.
With almost 222,000 people employed by Enterprise Ireland clients who spent €29bn in the domestic economy last year and exported €25.6bn of goods and services, Irish enterprise is a major contributor to the economy. The coming months, however, will be challenging for exporters. My Department has mandated Enterprise Ireland to continue to focus on promoting internationalisation activity of client companies by:
- Achieving continued growth in the Eurozone, a strategic focus of the agency
- Continuing to support clients enter new markets and diversify their global footprint.
Through the agency’s network of 40 international offices, Enterprise Ireland assisted client companies to increase their exports to a record €25.6 billion in 2019, a growth of 8 per cent on 2018’s export results. The table below presents Enterprise Ireland’s clients’ export results for 2019.
Enterprise Ireland Client Exports by Territory
|
Region |
Export value |
Per cent change on 2018 exporting results |
|
North America |
€4.72bn |
+18% |
|
UK |
€7.9bn |
+2% |
|
Latin America |
€0.23bn |
+23% |
|
Northern Europe |
€1.13bn |
-5% |
|
Eurozone |
€5.65bn |
+15% |
|
M. East/Africa/India |
€1.4bn |
+12% |
|
Central/Eastern CIS/Russia |
€0.65bn |
+19% |
|
Asia Pacific |
€2.14bn |
+6% |
In October, as part of International Markets Week, over 700 companies met with 140 market advisors from 40 overseas offices in 2,000 individual virtual one-on-one meetings to plan their COVID-19, Brexit and market diversification strategies. Travel restrictions and the curtailment of major trade events in many markets have presented challenges to exporters to find new customers and to stay in touch with existing clients. Access to Enterprise Ireland's experts in the markets will help Irish businesses find new ways of establishing and protecting business relationships.
