Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2026
72. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the main initiatives taken to support Ireland's trading position since January 2025; her priorities for the rest of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53546/26]
View answerIn the changing global trading environment that we are experiencing, Government has taken a proactive and comprehensive approach to strengthening Ireland's economic resilience. Our approach is designed to maintain and, insofar as possible, enhance our trading position and ensure Ireland's continuing prosperity. Since January 2025, my Department has been working deliberately, responsively and comprehensively, in close coordination with other Government Departments, State Agencies, businesses and other stakeholders to this end.
Initiatives over the period in question include the establishment of the Government Trade Forum, the review of the National Development Plan and Budget 2026, and the publication of the Action Plans on Competitiveness and Productivity and the Action Plan on Market Diversification, which is led by my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. These Action Plans are ongoing across Government Departments and the Agencies.
The Government Action Plan on Market Diversification is a core element to our response to current global trading conditions. The Action Plan supports Ireland’s businesses in adapting to changing trading environments through deepening engagement in existing core markets and expanding out into new and emerging markets high-growth markets for opportunities to build trade and investment. The Action Plan contains over one hundred actions for delivery before the end of 2027 to support enterprises, build market access for Irish businesses, enhance Ireland’s trade presence and visibility overseas and address some domestic barriers to building trade and investment.
Government is committed to driving strong implementation of the Action Plan under the Headquarters Market Team, which is chaired by senior officials from my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. Minister Burke and I were pleased to present the first Implementation Progress Report to Cabinet in March this year. The Progress Report, available on Ireland.ie showed good progress on delivery, with ten actions completed and the majority of more medium-term actions underway.
Drawing attention to a number of the main initiatives delivered:
• Government delivered the largest St Patrick’s Day Programme yet in 2026, which had a strong economic diplomacy focus across global markets, including strong positioning of Ireland as an investor in core markets;
• Our first Joint Economic Commission with the United Arab Emirates and inaugural Ireland-Ukraine Economic Forum with the Taoiseach and President Zelenskyy, both in December 2025;
• Budget 2026 delivered resources to enhancing our trading position, including action on the Research and Development tax credit and €100 million to IDA to develop a ‘next generation site’;
• Enterprise Ireland introduced a number of responsive supports to Irish businesses, including financial and programme supports;
• In December, I announced a number of new market diversification focused diplomatic posts across our mission network and our State agencies have expanded their resources in South Korea, India, Switzerland and the Gulf region;
• Our first International Sports Diplomacy Strategy, launched last November, seeks to leverage Ireland’s sporting strengths as an economic driver while our new Diaspora Strategy is now more focused on involving diaspora in diversifying our markets;
• We held large Trade Horizons conferences for Africa (2025) and Latin America and the Caribbean (2026), which attracted great interest from Irish and target market businesses.
We look forward to delivering the second progress report after the summer and I am confident that we will see further progress according the priorities set out in the Action Plan. One key area to enhance Ireland’s trading position is Ireland engaging with the opportunities from EU Free Trade Agreements. Over 40 agreements, covering over 70 territories, provide access to markets beyond the already crucial Single Market. New agreements have been made with Indonesia, Mexico, India and Australia, which will be adopted in the near future. One of my Department’s actions is to ensure that we are well placed to identify and take trade opportunities from free trade agreements. Adding to the very successful report on the Ireland-Canada trade and investment relationship in “Beyond Barriers” (available online) we have a number of timely economic studies in the pipeline to help Irish companies navigate these new opportunities over this year and next.
Trade policy is one of the most important elements of the EU's toolkit for strengthening global, regional, and bilateral relations. Our Presidency will pursue an ambitious, open, rules- and values-based trade policy agenda with a reformed WTO at its core that supports European competitiveness, resilience and economic security, and strengthens our trade relationships with reliable global partners. I personally will take responsibility for driving this, in my role as chair of the Council of EU Trade Ministers.
With this in mind, we will work to strengthen our trade relationships and diversify our markets, advancing trade negotiations with important partners in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, as called for in the One Europe, One Market Roadmap.
Our Presidency considers the effective implementation of trade agreements as essential, and we look forward to progressing Council Decisions on the recently concluded FTA with Indonesia, as referenced above and sending this agreement to the Parliament for its consent. We also hope to follow the same track with India once the Commission has finalised the texts.
In a context where our trading landscape is shifting towards greater fragmentation, the EU’s priority must be to preserve a stable, predictable transatlantic trading environment. The Irish Presidency’s position remains that cooperation, engagement and dialogue is the best way forward to address the challenges facing both the EU and US and is committed to seeking the implementation of the EU-US Joint Statement – by both sides.
It is important to consult regularly with stakeholders. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I engage directly with industry and other stakeholders to hear their insights regarding the changing trading environment, including at the Government Trade Forum. The 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. Topics addressed at the Forum recently have included market diversification, Ireland’s global trade promotion efforts, economic impacts of global events and conflicts, and sectoral matters including defence, security and resilience.
Looking to the future, strengthening Ireland's trading position is at the heart of my priorities for my Department in 2026. Correspondingly, on 12th May 2026, I published my Department’s new Statement of Strategy which will guide the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over the course of the next three years. There are six primary goals in the Strategy, with Goal number 5 in particular aiming to deepen our global engagement and drive our trade and prosperity.
In line with that Strategy, my Department will continue to implement the Action Plan for Market Diversification and engage directly with Irish stakeholders through the Trade Forum. Once again, deputies can find the first Implementation Progress Report on the Market Diversification Action Plan and the agendas and minutes of the Government Trade Forum on the Digital Ireland House, Ireland.ie.
