Vol. 447 No. 11
20 Mr. R. Burke asked the asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, in view of the ongoing EU enlargement process, the proposals, if any, he has to utilise Ireland's diplomatic and consular representation in the EU to support the public and private sector in attracting tourism, trade and inward investment. [
One of the primary objectives of my Department is, in co-operation with other Departments and State agencies, to use diplomatic missions to greatest effect to support Irish economic and business interests abroad.
We have embassies in all the member states of the European Union, including in the three new member states where an embassy in Finland was opened in June 1993. We also have diplomatic links with those countries who are actively pursuing European Union membership. All these missions, with the Permanent Representation in Brussels, are active, on an ongoing basis, in supporting the public and private sectors in pursuing further trade and investment opportunities both in the European Union and the applicant states.
In particular our representatives abroad are active in supporting Irish State bodies and firms in pursuing opportunities within the European Union pre-accession programme for the applicant states of Eastern Europe.
My Department is a member of the Foreign Earnings Committee, which was re-established and upgraded by the Government in 1993. This committee, under the chairmanship of the Minister for Tourism and Trade, brings together representatives of Government Departments and State bodies involved in the promotion of trade, tourism and investment. Its remit is "to achieve the necessary single-minded pursuit of Ireland's economic and commercial interest abroad by all our Agencies and programmes including the diplomatic service".
My officials co-operate closely with the work of the committee in Dublin. Embassies are fully involved with State agencies in co-ordinating official support to the Irish trade and investment effort overseas. This includes the markets of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean countries which have also applied for membership.
I welcome the work being done by our diplomatic service throughout the world in assisting the promotion of trade, tourism and inward investment. In the light of the expansion of the European Union to include three new member states with whom we have a trade balance, it is very important to look at future trading links with these three new member countries as well as existing member states, not only trading links with the capitals of these countries but with the economic heartland. Has the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs proposals to review the consular service in European Union countries to try to assist even further the efforts not only of State agencies but of private companies?
I welcome the Deputy's remarks on the role played by the diplomatic service on behalf of the Irish people and the public and private sectors. In all my discussions with our diplomatic staff around the world one of the things I bring to bear is the importance of our export trade and developing opportunities for both the public and private sectors. I would like to think that all State agencies and private sector companies that have had experience of dealing with the deplomatic staff abroad would have been pleased with their experience. I see the Deputy nodding in agreement. I think that is the general experience and many letters cross my desk complimenting the efforts of our missions abroad for what they have done for business, public and private.
Given the opportunities that will arise in Eastern European countries which have agreements with the European Union and which in the long term will obviously wish to be part of an enlarged European Union, it is important to look at the opportunities that will exist for Ireland in that situation. I constantly look at the prospect of extending our consular services. We have a limited number of missions, which is constantly under review and I would like to expand our missions abroad either as full diplomatic missions or as consular services. Given the export orientation of the State, we will need all the assistance we can get abroad and a professional staff to assist both public and private sectors.
