merrion street

Attending the Irish Exporters Association’s Export Industry Awards in Dublin this evening, Minister of State Tom Hayes TD took the opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding contribution made by the exporting sector to Ireland’s economic recovery. He also highlighted the enormous potential of the sector to contribute to the achievement of ambitious growth targets for the Irish economy in the coming years.

Pointing to yesterday’s announcement of the Government’s Enterprise 2025 strategy and its coherence with the agri-food sector’s Food Wise 2025 strategy, the Minister said: “Both of these development strategies highlight the critical role the exporting sector has played, and will continue to play, in the growth of the Irish economy. Tonight’s event is a vivid demonstration of the capabilities of the exporting sector and I would like to congratulate all those involved”.

The Minister underlined the Government’s commitment to helping the exporting sector to build on the successes of recent years through actions such as supporting improvements in the performance of enterprises across the economy, helping to create a distinctive competitive edge for Irish companies, and maintaining existing markets and securing new markets – which is of particular importance in the agri-food sector. He also emphasised the need to achieve growth in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way, which again is at the heart of the Food Wise 2025 strategy in particular.

Concluding, the Minister said that the commitment of all concerned had to be matched by capability, and that “tonight’s event is a vivid demonstration of the capabilities of the exporting sector, so I think we need have no worries in that regard.”

ENDS