COVENEY PARTICIPATES IN SAINT PATRICK’S DAY EVENTS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine departed today for Australia and New Zealand where he will represent the Government over the Saint Patrick’s Day period. In an intensive programme of engagements, the Minister will visit Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, before moving on to Wellington and Auckland. During the visit the Minister will promote trade, investment and tourism with Ireland. He will meet Irish community groups and senior political figures including his ministerial counterparts in Australia and New Zealand. In Sydney and Melbourne, Minister Coveney will meet Irish companies exporting into the Australia / New Zealand markets. He will also address business breakfasts in both cities attended by senior corporate figures and will brief these groups on the economic recovery underway in Ireland, and will explore with them the opportunities to further grow trade and investment with Australia and New Zealand. The Minister will also take part in tourism-promotion events including an Irish-themed Australian Football League fixture between Greater Western Sydney (‘Giants’) and the Sydney Swans, the ‘Greening’ of the Sydney Opera House, and the launch of a new ‘Old Irish Sydney Walking Tour’ smartphone app. Minister Coveney will meet Irish community groups during the visit, including recently-arrived emigrants, to hear of their experiences, the challenges they face, and to learn how the Government might best support the Irish abroad. The Minister will meet senior political figures in both countries. He will discuss openings for Irish agri-food sector with Barnaby Joyce MP, Minister for Agriculture in Australia, and with Nathan Guy MP, Minister for Primary Industries (Agriculture) in New Zealand. In New Zealand, the Minister will also meet senior political and industry figures in the dairy industry. The Minister will also speak to senior figures in the tourism and sport sectors to learn of the approach taken in New Zealand to hosting the Rugby World Cup, in the context of a possible bid to host the competition on the island of Ireland in 2023. Before leaving on his visit Minister Coveney said he was looking forward to the intensive programme of engagements over Saint Patrick’s Day in Australia and New Zealand. The Minister added: “I welcome the opportunity to meet Irish communities, in particular those who have recently emigrated. I want to learn of the challenges they face and how the Government might best support them. I want to ensure also that they are aware of the Government’s approach to addressing the challenges facing the country and the positive impact this is having on growth in the economy, in particular in creating jobs. Referring to trade and business events during his visit, the Minister said: “Irish exporters are growing the market for their goods and services in Australia and New Zealand. Enterprise Ireland clients are increasingly successful in the software and high technology, and the engineering and construction sectors. I will be meeting those directly involved as well as senior corporate figures to see how I can help to increase their exports into the market, thus helping to create more jobs in Ireland. I am particularly keen also to explore the opportunities that exist for the agri-food sector”. Commenting on his programme in New Zealand, the Minister added: “New Zealand has been notably successful in building its dairy industry into a global player and had the opportunity to expand greatly over the years when Ireland was held back due to EU quota limits on our milk output. I want to learn more of the approach adopted and to see what lessons learned there might apply .
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:46:21 +0000
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