Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2012
41. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has reviewed the proposals from the Irish Exporters Association to reallocate Irish embassy resources from Europe to parts of Africa, Asia and South America in order to help increase exports to those regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49973/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am, of course, aware of the proposals referred to by the Deputy. The size, scale and distribution of Ireland’s diplomatic network is kept under review by my Department and considered by the Government on an ongoing basis. Any decision to adjust the State’s external representation by closing, opening or relocating missions must be made having regard to clear national priorities and available resources and on the basis of an anticipated and ongoing significant return for the State. Our diplomatic and consular missions abroad perform a wide range of functions in pursuit of Ireland’s foreign policy interests, such as: representing and advancing government policies with other States and in international organisations, in particular the EU and the UN; trade, economic and cultural promotion; frontline consular and passport services to Irish citizens overseas; engaging with Irish communities and harnessing the resource they offer in assisting economic recovery; and programme management, particularly in Irish Aid priority countries. While these functions do not apply equally to all missions - missions to international organisations, for example, have no direct trade promotion functions – and the priority assigned to each function in specific countries is not constant, Ireland’s economic and political interests abroad are best advanced by optimal allocation to all these functions of the overall resources available. This allocation must, as I have said, reflect national priorities, available resources and anticipated and ongoing return to the State.
As the Deputy is aware, the Government’s Trade Strategy covers both established Irish markets in North America and in the European Union and emerging and high growth markets on other continents where our economic engagement is at a lower level but has strong growth potential. My Department, including its overseas missions, works very closely with the State Agencies charged with promoting Irish trade, tourism and inward investment and with other relevant Departments in assisting Irish companies to find and access new markets abroad.
Local market teams chaired by the local Ambassador and comprising representatives of the locally based State Agencies have been established in all the priority markets, both established and emerging or high growth markets, identified under the Trade Strategy. These teams’ detailed market plans, as well as their mid year and end year progress reports, are submitted to the Export Trade Council, which I set up last year to monitor implementation of the Trade Strategy and which has met on three occasions under my Chairmanship. I am familiar with the competing claims on resources of established versus emerging markets. The Chief Executive Office of the Irish Exporters Association is a member of the Export Trade Council. In this context and more generally, my Department engages actively with the IEA. My view at this time is that Ireland has to do more with less across both established as well as emerging markets and I will ensure that my Department’s external resources are deployed to the best advantage of the full range of Ireland’s interests.
