Engineers urge Government to expand diplomat corps in dynamic emerging economies

A call has been made for the Government to expand the Irish diplomatic corp in the fast-growing emerging economies.

The Director General of Engineers Ireland, John Power, has urged the Government to expand Irish embassies in Brazil, India and China so that Irish industry can tap into the world’s largest growing markets.

Mr Power was speaking at Engineers Week, which is currently running. A survey of more than 1,200 engineers taken at the event indicated that 64% believe Ireland is not doing enough to promote trade links with countries such as China and the other Bric economies — Brazil, Russia and India.

With Ireland now facing a referendum on the European Stability Treaty, almost all engineers surveyed (92%) said that Ireland should resist European pressure to adjust our corporate tax rate upwards to match other EU countries.

Mr Power said: “There has been much talk about embassies recently and perhaps the focus needs to be on expanding our embassy base to build on trading opportunities in the China and the other Bric countries rather than continuing to focus on traditional markets and traditional locations.

“Without these new frontiers, we will fail to create new sustainable international markets for our goods and services which may result in us failing to create the new jobs our economy needs.”

The suggestion was welcomed by the Department of Foreign Affairs who are keen to increase Ireland’s presence in the emerging world once the Irish economy improves.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: “We welcome calls for expanding our diplomatic network in the China and the other Bric countries and Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore TD has indicated that when economic circumstances improve that we hope to be able to do that.

“As it stands, we are fortunate that we have an embassy in each of the China and other Bric countries, all of which are heavily engaged in expanding opportunities for investment and trade in these key markets.”

Engineers Ireland have been working to forge their own links and sign mutual recognition agreements with Chinese bodies. Mr Power said that, in the week following the visit of the Chinese vice-president, Xi Jinping, Ireland had a unique opportunity to capitalise and strengthen links with China.

Mr Power paid tribute to whoever in the Department of Foreign Affairs managed to secure the visit of Mr Xi to Ireland. He urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to now take advantage of the goodwill that exists between the countries.

“We have got to display an urgency in capitalising on opportunity. Why shouldn’t Ireland develop into the bridge between the EU and China?” said Mr Power.