Minister Bruton leads first-ever joint trade mission with UK and NI Ministers to Singapore

Minister Bruton leads first-ever joint trade mission with UK and NI
Ministers to Singapore

2-day joint programme in Singapore forms part of 4-day Enterprise Ireland
mission to South East Asia

More than 60 companies, including over 40 Irish companies, will participate
in the four days of activities

10th February 20124

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, is
today (Monday) commencing the first ever joint Irish, UK and Northern
Ireland trade mission, with the first of two days of joint events in
Singapore.

The programme of events around the Singapore Airshow forms part of a
programme of cooperation to strengthen relations over the next decade led
by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

The joint mission is being led by Minister Bruton along with UK Transport
Minister Stephen Hammond, Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene
Foster with support from UK Trade & Investment, Enterprise Ireland and
Invest Northern Ireland.

The Singapore Airshow is Asia’s largest airshow, and one of the most
important in the world, given that the Asia Pacific region is the world’s
biggest air travel market. For both the UK and Ireland the aerospace sector
is a key part of their long term economic plan.

This is the 19th major trade and investment mission that Minister Bruton
has led since taking office almost three years ago. The number of
Enterprise Ireland trade missions has doubled since the launch of the
Action Plan for Jobs.

Minister Bruton’s four-day programme of more than 30 meetings and events in
Singapore and Malaysia, which is aimed at supporting Irish companies
increase their sales in South East Asia, includes:

· Several joint events with the UK and Northern Ireland Ministers,
including visiting the Singapore Airshow where Enterprise Ireland and
UKTI will have a joint stand

· A total of more than 10 events aimed at partnering Irish companies
with potential buyers of their products and services

· Meetings with three Government Ministers in Singapore and Malaysia as
well as a Central Bank Governor

· Meetings organised by IDA aimed at attracting investment to Ireland

Minister Bruton said:

“At the heart of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs is our determination
to provide better supports for exporting companies so that they can sell
more of their products and services abroad and help create the jobs we
badly need. As part of that drive we have put in place a range of new
supports, including doubling the number of trade missions over the past two
years. This trade mission to Singapore and Malaysia is part of that drive,
and will offer real opportunities for our highly innovative companies in
sectors including financial services, construction, ICT and education.

“This trade mission has a wider significance of course, and is an
important part of a wider programme of cooperation between Ireland and the
UK. This first joint mission has attracted an impressive list of companies
from Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK that will demonstrate our
considerable combined strengths in the aerospace sector at Asia’s largest
air show and lead to enhanced opportunities for our companies in this
important sector and ultimately more jobs in Ireland.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The Action Plan for Jobs includes a commitment by Government to carry out
an intensive programme of Ministerial-led trade and investment missions.

Since the Plan was launched in early 2012 the number of trade missions led
by Enterprise Ireland, for example, has doubled, from an average of 8.5
(2007-2011) to an average of 17 (2012 and scheduled for 2013).

This is Minister Bruton’s 19th major trade/investment mission in almost
three years since taking office in March 2011

The 18 previous missions undertaken comprise:

· Six IDA investment missions to the USA, three to the east coast, two
to the west coast and one encompassing the East Coast, South and
Mid-West

· Six Enterprise Ireland trade missions, one to Texas, one to the
south-eastern USA, one to India, one to Saudi Arabia and India, one
to Canada and one to France accompanied by hundreds of Irish
companies looking to break into new export markets

· A 7-day joint EI/IDA mission to China led by the Taoiseach in 2012,
and a further joint EI/IDA mission to China and Japan led by Minister
Bruton in 2013

· A EI mission to the Gulf led by the Taoiseach in January 2011

· A 5-day EI/IDA trip to the west coast of the USA built around St
Patrick’s Day 2012

· A 4-day mission to Germany around St Patrick’s Day 2013, and a 2-day
mission to Germany around St Patrick’s Day 2011, including a series
of meetings arranged by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia and
Tourism Ireland.

Extracts from programme:

Singapore, Monday Feb 10th, 2014

07.00 Briefing

07.30 Informal meeting with Irish mission participants of joint
Trade Mission 08.00 – 10.00 (UK / Ireland Joint Event)

10.15 – 11.00 EI companies – contract announcements

11.00 – 11.45 Local media interviews

17.15 – 18.00 EI Client visit

21:00 – 22:30 Young Irish Business Diaspora Dinner

Singapore, Tuesday, Feb 11th, 2014

07:30-08.40 Banking & Financial Breakfast

09.00 – 09.30 Meeting with Minister Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for
Trade and Industry

10:00 (Joint Event) Official Opening Ceremony of the
Singapore Air Show

11.00 Media interview .

12.30 – 14.30 IDA meetings

14.30 – 17.45 EI Client Site Visits

17.45 Depart for Airport

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Feb 12th, 2014

08.00 – 09.15 Breakfast briefing,

09:30 – 10:45 Education sector meeting

11.00 – 11.30 EI Clients Contract Announcements

11.30 – 12.00 EI company meetings

12:00 – 14:00 Business Networking Lunch

14.00 – 14.30 Media Interviews

14.30 – 15.30 EI client meeting

16.00 – 17.00 Meeting with Minister of International Trade and
Industry

19:30 – 21:30 Business Community event

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Feb 13th, 2014

08.00 – 09:30 Breakfast Meeting

10.00 – 11.00 Meeting with the Central Bank Governor

13.00 – 14.00 Meeting with Minister of Education

15.00 – 16.00 Education sector meeting

16.30 – 17.15 IDA meeting