Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2026
103. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report on the most recent meeting of the Government Trade Forum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22523/26]
View answer112. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to set out the principal potential priority actions arising from the most recent meeting of the Government Trade Forum; the way in which these actions will inform Ireland’s trade policy direction over the coming period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23020/26]
View answer136. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will report on her engagement with stakeholders in relation to international trade; her assessment of the impact of the current geopolitical situation in relation to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23047/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 103, 112 and 136 together.
I will take the questions of Deputies Peter Cleere, Naoise Ó Cearúil and James O’Connor together, relating as they do to the ongoing work of the Government Trade Forum, which I chair.
I meet regularly with stakeholders on international trade issues. The Government Trade Forum is the primary mechanism by which the Government engages with business and other relevant stakeholders on the latest developments in international trade. The information and real-time feedback received from the Members is extremely valuable.
The Government Trade Forum is one part of the comprehensive and deliberate approach we have taken as Government to ensure Ireland’s continued economic growth and resilience. This approach also includes the National Development Plan, Budget 2026 and the mutually supportive Action Plan on Market Diversification, and the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity.
We take a proactive approach to reporting at the Government Trade Forum, therefore agendas and minutes of the Government Trade Forum are published promptly on the Digital Ireland House, ireland.ie. Deputies will also find the approved 2026 Work Plan for the Government Trade Forum and updates to progress on the Government Action Plan on Market Diversification on the same web page.
The 2026 Work Plan for the Government Trade Forum, adopted at our last meeting, sets out an active schedule of nine meetings during 2026. We have already held two of these meetings and Deputies will find minutes of the latest meeting, the 2nd of March 2026, on Ireland.ie. As Deputies will see in the Work Plan, I plan to maintain an intensity of engagement at the Trade Forum this year with our next meeting coming after Easter.
At the meeting of 2nd March, I was joined by the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance; the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; the Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine; and the Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital alongside senior Officials from Government, CEOs of State Agencies and senior representatives from Irish business. This was the eleventh meeting of the Trade Forum since it was first established in February 2025.
The Forum reflected on the evolving EU-US trade relationship post the US Supreme Court decision on tariffs, the then emerging conflict in the Gulf and middle-East, and the opportunity to promote Irish trade and investment in the then forthcoming St Patrick’s Day Programme. I also updated the Forum on the first Implementation Progress Report on the Government Action Plan on Market Diversification. I encourage Deputies to look at that Report to see the range of activity underway across Government and across the globe to diversify markets to help manage economic risk.
The situation in the Gulf causes great concern to me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, not only from an economic perspective. Our Embassies across the region and across the globe keep me very well-informed on developments. The global trading environment has become more difficult with the escalation of conflict in the Gulf and the middle-East. The economic effects and the heightened risk to Ireland’s prosperity are obviously matters that will be reflected too at the next meeting of the Government Trade Forum.
As a small, highly globalised economy, it is of the utmost importance that we continue to engage with business and other key stakeholders, to inform the approach we take in navigating this challenging, changing and often unpredictable landscape. Our approach at the Government Trade Forum, as set out in the 2026 Work Plan, allows us set a responsive strategic agenda.
The Forum has already had sectoral focuses on medtech, pharmaceuticals, aviation, agri-food, semiconductors and international financial services. I am keen to convene future Forum meetings focused on matters relating to our economic security, and important sectors such as Artificial Intelligence and Tourism.
