Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
479. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he met the Australian Prime Minister during his recent visit to Australia for the St. Patricks day events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16694/23]
View answerThe 2023 St Patrick's Day programme saw the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Government Ministers take part in an extensive international programme to promote Ireland and Irish interests around the world. These visits provided an opportunity for Ministers to promote Irish trade and meet business leaders, to engage with political counterparts and to meet the Irish diaspora in different locations.
As part of this St Patrick’s Day programme, I visited Australia and carried out a wide-ranging programme of community, business and political engagements in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth. This included a brief meeting with the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, at the Australian Parliament. The discussion was very warm and touched on current topics.
In conjunction with the official St Patrick’s Day programme, I carried out a series of trade and investment engagements in both Melbourne and Sydney. These included a series of meetings with both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland client companies. I also attended and spoke at business events including the Enterprise Ireland Melbourne St. Patrick’s Week Business Lunch, the Sydney St. Patrick’s Week Business Lunch, the Sydney Business Advisory Panel Breakfast, and the Queensland Irish Association. There were 47 Enterprise Ireland client companies involved in this trade mission programme and these business meetings and engagements provided a platform for me to highlight growth opportunities for Enterprise Ireland and IDA client companies in Digital Technologies, FinTech, Construction, Engineering, Healthcare, Energy, Consumer Goods and other key sectors.
