Longford-Westmeath Burke drives opportunities for Irish firms on Canada trade mission

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, led a significant trade mission to Toronto and Ottawa last week aimed at driving new opportunities for Irish companies and strengthening economic ties between Ireland and Canada.
The Minister was accompanied by 31 Irish companies and took part in 16 meetings, eight events, and three media interviews over the four-day programme.

The visit highlighted the depth of the Irish business footprint in Canada and the scale of Canadian investment in Ireland. There are currently 63 Canadian companies operating here, which employ more than 22,000 people.

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Minister Burke said the mission came at a crucial time for Irish Canadian trade.

“In the years since the agreement of CETA, we have seen trade grow hugely," he said. “Since 2016, Canadian FDI in Ireland has increased by 131%, and Irish exporters have increased their trade by 60%.

“We also have a very strong foreign direct investment relationship, with around 20,000 jobs in Ireland depending on Canadian companies.

Minister Burke met Fiona Fitzmaurice, originally from Longford, who runs Longford Consulting in Toronto and previously worked with Stephens Cooke. He also met Claire Fagan from Mullingar, who moved to Canada 15 years ago and has built a successful career there as a lawyer.

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“It was wonderful to meet Fiona and Claire - two local women doing Ireland proud abroad,” he said.

It was a jam-packed programme, but the energy and ambition on both sides was clear. Ireland and Canada have a shared outlook and a shared opportunity - the best is yet to come.”