Geoscience Ireland attended the Global Ireland Summit at Dublin Castle today.The Summit heard presentations from Taoiseach Michael Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Ministers Simon Coveney and Eamon Ryan on an integrated government approach to enhancing Ireland’s international impact and influence. The Summit heard of plans to build  on  an initiative launched in 2018 to double the Ireland’s overseas missions by 2025.

The strategic ambition is to make Ireland’s voice count for more internationally by being a strong participant in enterprise, trade , culture, diplomacy, peace-building and development. A commitment to core values of respect for human and civil rights and rule based international treaties underpin these ambitions.

Outlining Ireland’s new Trade and Investment Strategy, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar set three priorities;

• to help business respond to Covid, Brexit and Ukraine
• to achieve employment of 2.5 million by 2024
• to create jobs with better terms , security and sustainability.

Minister Varadkar specified 7 Actions to achieve these objectives. One key action is the improved delivery of integrated Local Market Teams drawn from embassies , consulates and state agencies; Geoscience Ireland and its members have benefited greatly from this Team Ireland arrangement.

https://www.gov.ie/en/speech/3734b-speech-by-tanaiste-leo-varadkar-at-global-ireland-summit-in-dublin-castle/

Minister Ryan reiterated Ireland’s commitment to international climate actions, noting that achieving Paris Accord  targets will entail massive investment in electrical grids and  offshore wind energy, which in turn will need significant quantities of critical minerals.

Photo shows Sean Finlay and Prof Dermot Duff at the Summit