John Clendennen
Ceist:25. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress made on implementing the Action Plan on Market Diversification. [69318/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 1 October 2026
Ceisteanna (25, 41, 49)
Tony McCormack
Ceist:41. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on the Department’s role in implementing the Government Action Plan on Market Diversification; and the measures being taken through Ireland’s diplomatic network to support Irish SMEs and indigenous businesses seeking to access new export markets. [69278/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTony McCormack
Ceist:49. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures being taken through Ireland’s diplomatic network and international trade engagement to promote and diversify overseas market opportunities for Irish agricultural and agrifood exports. [69280/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 41 and 49 together.
This Government is committed to support Irish companies with their market diversification ambitions. Market diversification protects against sudden changes in the global economy, opens new trading opportunities and enhances economic resilience.
The Action Plan on Market Diversification is part of a comprehensive response by the Government to recent changes in the global trading environment. The Plan was developed jointly by my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment with input from other Government Departments and Agencies. Both Departments drive implementation of the Action Plan through the Headquarters Market Team (HQMT), which is co-chaired by senior officials from both Departments. The HQMT also includes senior representatives from Department and State agencies engaged in promoting Ireland internationally.
The first implementation progress report was published in March and showed strong implementation. A second implementation will be published by the end of the year. The momentum has continued throughout 2026. Some of the early measures worth noting are the increased people resources put in place by the State Agencies in diverse locations including Korea, UAE, India and New Zealand as well as new market diversification attaches from my Department in our consulates in Atlanta, Austin, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
EU membership and access to the EU’s global network of free trade agreements is a core aspect of our approach to market diversification. There has been substantial progress on several EU FTAs, most recently with the preliminary, substantial agreement on an FTA with the Philippines last week as well as India and Australia which are both currently being ratified and offer real opportunities for Irish business.
2026 also saw the largest St Patrick’s Day Programme in the history of the state which had a strong market diversification focus across global markets, promoting Ireland as a partner for trade, investment, tourism and research. This was a major focus of my own visit to Boston.
A programme of promotional visits by Ministers is continuing throughout 2026, supported by our Embassies and Consulates. There was a strong economic promotion element in my own programme in New York last week, focused both on supporting Irish companies scaling in the US and promoting Ireland as an investment location.
The new Diaspora and Sports Diplomacy strategies have strong economic promotion ambitions, which are being implemented. These strategies recognize respectively the importance of the Irish diaspora for indigenous businesses looking to scale and do business internationally, and the opportunity afforded by major sporting events, such as the Aer Lingus College Classic, to enhance economic and political ties.
In May my Department, in collaboration with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, organised the Latin America and the Caribbean Trade Horizons Conference in Croke Park. Enterprise Ireland will host a conference promoting trading opportunities with Africa this month.
New Research and Innovation Attachés have been announced for the UK, Germany, France, Singapore and South Africa, building on the success of the positions in Boston and San Francisco.
I am determined to continue the strong implementation of the Action Plan on Market Diversification and will publish a second progress report later this year.
In addition to the Action Plan, the Government has also taken a number of related measures to national Ireland’s economic resilience, including the publication of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, the review of the National Development Plan in 2025 and increased engagement with key economic stakeholders through the Government Trade Forum. Maintaining Ireland’s competitiveness in a more challenging global economy is a priority for the Government, and will be reflected in Budget 2027 next week.
My Department, through our Embassies and Consulates overseas work in close partnership with Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia and other State Agencies as part of Team Ireland overseas. My Department is always eager to collaborate with Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia and other Agencies as they fulfill their mandate to support Irish businesses abroad.