ETC comprises Ministers, State Agencies, Employers’ Representatives & Private Sector Members
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, will chair the 11th meeting of the Export Trade Council (ETC) this afternoon in Iveagh House.
As part of the Government’s approach to the UK referendum on EU membership, a key strategic issue for Ireland, Minister Flanagan will bring the Export Trade Council together to discuss the activities of members to date and the planning process for the weeks and months ahead.
Minister Flanagan has convened the ETC in its public sector and private sector formations in recent months to discuss the forthcoming UK referendum. All members of the ETC are expected to be represented at today’s meeting.
Speaking before the meeting, Minister Flanagan said:
“I have convened the Export Trade Council in various formats every month for the last few months and its membership – Ministers, State agencies and private sector representatives – has played a hugely valuable part in putting forward the Irish perspective in the UK referendum debate. Their work, including in relation to the current programme of ministerial visits in the UK, will continue to be important as we enter the final two weeks before the referendum”.
Recalling his visit to Liverpool and Manchester last week, when Minister Flanagan met directly with Irish and British companies and visited examples of Irish investments in the UK, he also said:
“From the trade union movement to the business community and across the political divide, there is a consensus that anything that might get in the way of a seamless flow of goods, services, capital and people between Ireland and Britain would be extremely unwelcome.
“I saw first-hand the potential for growing even further the trade links between Ireland and every region of Britain. We want to see both of our economies continuing to flourish, to the benefit of all”
Note for Editors:
UK Referendum
The most recent information on the Irish Government’s position on the EU referendum, including remarks by Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny and Minister Flanagan can be viewed here: http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/EU-UK/
Total trade between the UK and Ireland (in the last year where full statistics are available for both goods and services) was €62 billion, or €1.2 billion a week.
Ireland is the UK’s fifth largest export market.
Export Trade Council
The Export Trade Council (ETC), which is chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, T.D, was established in 2011 in order to strengthen cooperation and coordination across all Government Departments and State agencies involved in the promotion of trade, tourism and inward investment.
The ETC brings together senior Ministers with an economic focus, the heads of the State agencies involved in promoting trade, tourism, investment and education abroad with the support of the Embassy network, and members drawn from the private sector, including IBEC, the Irish Exporters Association and a number of business people with expertise in specific sectoral areas.
The current members of the Council include: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan T.D., Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food, the Marine and Defence, Michael Creed, T.D., Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, T.D. and Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, T.D.,
The heads of the State agencies that work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassy network in promoting trade, tourism, investment and education are also represented on the Council: Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland.
The private sector is also represented on the Council by IBEC and the Irish Exporters Association, as well as by a number of business people with a track record in the relevant sectors.