Ó An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dara Calleary TD and the Minister of State with responsibility for New Market Development, Martin Heydon TD, welcome the appointment of three new Agriculture Attachés and wish them success in their roles prior to departure to the Irish Embassy Network overseas.
Minister Calleary stated:
"Our enhanced focus on market access and trade is a key part of my department’s response through the twin challenges of the economic impact of COVID-19 and ongoing Brexit uncertainty. It is also very much in line with the market development theme under Foodwise 2025. This work has taken on an added urgency in the light of Brexit and I am increasing our presence in the UK to help us to deal with the many changes to our trading relationship."
The attachés role will encompass trade assistance, development and facilitation in cooperation with Team Ireland, and also in further developing relationships at a political and official level to ensure representation of Irish interests in these countries. Agriculture attachés are crucial to Ireland’s efforts to gain new market access, and also, to widen and broaden Ireland’s existing levels of trade both in value and volume.
Minister Calleary concluded:
"I am expanding my department’s global footprint as we currently have eight agricultural attaché posts in Embassies worldwide. Our new attachés will replace existing officers in Brussels and London and I am adding an additional post in Korea, which is becoming increasingly important to Irish agri-food companies. Building and developing official relationships with Competent Authorities and will be a key remit of their work and should in future help to deepen and widen our access in these markets."
Minister Heydon also welcomed the new appointments stating:
"From this year, the department will have more posts outside the EU than inside. This is being done to help Ireland’s agri-food companies deal with the complexities of global markets. The appointments form part of the expansion of Ireland’s global footprint in the context of the Global Ireland 2025 initiative that was launched in 2018. This initiative underlines the expansion of Ireland’s international presence and will help us to develop future markets in terms of diplomacy, culture, business, inward tourism, overseas aid, and trade. I look forward to working with our attachés in their roles as we build on new opportunities to expand our existing market share and build new markets around the world."
ENDS