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TWO IRISH MINISTERS are taking advantage of this week’s Dáil adjournment by flying out on separate trade missions.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton flew out yesterday to the US, where he will visit Boston, New Jersey and New York.
The IDA Ireland investment mission is Bruton’s 16th since taking office in 2011.
The mission will focus particularly on companies in the financial services sector and the Minister will meet a total of over 40 companies ranging from start-ups to multi-billion dollar world-leading companies.
Bruton will also attend functions attended by a further 20-25 IDA client companies, as well as the Ireland-US Council dinner in New York.
Before departing, Bruton said:
A key part of the Government’s plans for jobs and growth is to attract more international companies to invest in Ireland. Through the Action Plan for Jobs, we are continuing to improve our competitiveness, to improve our skills, and to undertake a very intensive programme of trade and investment missions.
“The multinational sector has performed very well recently after a very challenging three years between 2008 and 2010. In the past two years over 12,000 jobs have been added with very significant investments like those from PayPal, eBay, Mylan, Apple, IBM, EMC and Northern Trust.”
Agriculture
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney is leading the largest-ever trade delegation from Ireland to the Middle East.
A 60-strong delegation representing a range of food and agri services companies, and key state agencies such as Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland, Horse Racing Ireland and its subsidiary Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, will accompany the Minister on a mission to build closer commercial linkages between Irish and local businesses, and to develop relationships with key Government Ministries and agencies, in this critically important target region for Irish exports.
Food exports to the Gulf States amounted to almost €200 million in 2012 and Bord Bia estimates that there is potential to double that figure by 2020. Speaking before the visit, Coveney said:
This visit is about further developing an already strong and mutually beneficial relationship between Ireland and the Gulf States. In particular I want to raise the profile of Ireland not only as a provider of the highest quality food and ingredients in the world, but also as a source of technical expertise and services in the agri food sector.
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How right joan burton is. Guaranteed to save millions if she goes ahead with this idea. Too many people choosing to scrounge off others. On the other hand, it is awful the amount of people that are genuinely out of work. They deserve every cent they get.
Well done to you and all the people who agree with you you’re idiots. When there was full employment in this country we were running at 3% unemployment, of those only a small proportion of people were long term unemployed. To tar the 14.7% who are currently in such difficulty is to display a level of ignorance all too common on this isle of ours. Instead of being castigated by morons as scroungers, people unfortunate enough to be unemployed should be supported and encouraged, that is essentially what any research into the matter has shown, the stereotype of someone chosing unemployment as a lifestyle choice is not supported by any evidence whatsoever and is simply a sign of ignorance on the part of anyone who blows this nonsense out of their mouths, as careless and thoughtlessly as shite comes out of a cow’s arse.
William, regardless of who is right or wrong, you might want to watch your language… you’re not going to win an argument this way
William- Firstly I dont like the way you refer to me and those who like this comment as idiots,everyone is entitled to an educated opinion & yours is appreciated once you have a valid point to make.With reference to the 14.7% who are in difficulty at the moment, it is the thoughts of myself & im sure many individuals that they well deserve to receive their social welfare as they cant find a job in this economic crisis, but to say that they have been offered a job and turned it down is another story their payments definitely should be cut. With reference to scroungers- Do you feel confident knowing those who work hard and pay their high taxes from their pay packet are paying others weekly s.w. payments so they may maintain a standard of living beyond that of which a traditional worker may have once all the bills are paid!? Our taxes are no longer being used to improve our health services, roads, create new employment etc, it is being returned to many individuals who have refused work from the day they were born. I am not criticising people who have unfortunately lost their jobs due to this economic crisis- plenty of them dont want to be on social welfare & would gladly take a job if they got one.
Or ‘receive no money’ even. Why should we foot the bill for anyone that’s too lazy to work for living?
have your say