Three new agricultural attaches have been appointed to work in the Irish embassy network overseas in the area of trade assistance and development.
The appointments were welcomed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Dara Calleary and Minister of State with responsibility for new market development Martin Heydon, who wished the new appointees success in their new roles.
“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 Food Wise 2025,” Minister Calleary said.
This work has taken on an added urgency in 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 job of agricultural attache will encompass trade assistance, development and facilitation in cooperation with Team Ireland, and also in further developing relationships at a political and official level.
“I am expanding my department’s global footprint, as we currently have eight agricultural attache posts in embassies worldwide. Our new attaches 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,” Minister Calleary explained.
“Building and developing official relationships with competent authorities will be a key remit of their work and should, in future, help to deepen and widen our access in these markets,” he added.
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.
Meanwhile, Minister Heydon remarked: “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.”