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Tánaiste chairs third meeting of Export Trade Council

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D., chaired the third meeting of the Export Trade Council this afternoon in Iveagh House.

The Tánaiste was joined by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney T.D., the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar T.D. and the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello T.D.

The State Agencies that work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassy network in promoting trade, tourism and investment abroad (the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland), also participated, together with private sector members of the Council, including those from IBEC and the Irish Exporters Association. In the course of the meeting, Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., briefed the Council on fostering the key skills needed for business to trade internationally.

Following the meeting, the Tánaiste said:

“The meeting of the Export Trade Council is an opportunity for the Council, which takes a high-level overview of the implementation of the Government Trade Strategy, to look at trends and challenges in trade, tourism and investment in 2012 to date. Members discussed mid-year progress reports from local markets teams, led by our Ambassadors in the identified priority markets, as well as trade aspects of my Department’s Africa Strategy, visa issues and fostering the key skills needed for business to trade internationally.”

“Despite the significant challenges that we all continue to face in international markets, I am confident that the meeting of the Council has served to further galvanise and focus the collective Team Ireland effort, involving all of the relevant Departments, our Embassies and the State Agencies, as well as the private sector, to deliver on the targets outlined in the Government Trade Strategy.”