
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney TD, will chair the sixteenth meeting of the Export Trade Council this afternoon in Iveagh House. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD will also attend, along with key export promotion stakeholders from state enterprise agencies and the private sector.
At the meeting, Council members will discuss economic aspects of Global Ireland, the Government’s initiative to double the impact and scope of Ireland’s overseas footprint by 2025. These include the expansion of Ireland’s network of Embassies and Consulates, efforts to increase exports and identify new source markets for Foreign Direct Investment, and the development of whole-of-Government strategies setting out Ireland’s approach to the Americas and Asia Pacific regions.
In the context of Global Ireland and its focus on market diversification, the Export Trade Council will also discuss economic opportunities for the Irish companies in the Visegrad Four countries – Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Members will receive an update on the development of the Future Jobs Programme.
Speaking before the meeting, Simon Coveney TD said: “I am pleased to host today’s meeting of the Export Trade Council. I look forward to hearing the views of the Council members on how best to use our expanding network of Embassies, Consulates and state agency offices overseas to take advantage of global trade, investment and tourism opportunities. This is particularly important as we face the challenges posed by Brexit, as well as challenges in the global economic environment.
“Today’s discussion on economic opportunities in the Visegrad Four countries is important in the context of the Government’s ongoing work to strengthen trade and economic relations with markets across Europe and the world. I look forward to considering how Team Ireland can best support Irish companies to take advantage of opportunities in this dynamic region, as part of our ongoing focus on market diversification.”