Govt Trade Forum talks Middle East with business groups

The Government has held talks with business groups on issues including the war in Iran, EU-US trade and tariffs, free trade agreements, and infrastructure.

The Government Trade Forum brings together Ministers, State Agencies and business representative groups.

The 12th meeting of the forum was held at Government Buildings.

Speaking on her way into the talks, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee said she welcomed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an indefinite ceasefire with Iran.

“But at the same time while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, we know that this is going to continue to create significant difficulty for us and of course, for the rest of the world as well,” Ms McEntee said.

“Yesterday, I attended a meeting with Foreign Affairs Council, and what’s clear is that there’s an absolute desire and a commitment from a European perspective to play our part, and to do everything that we can to bring this conflict to an end, but also to support industries and sectors right across the EU.

Today I convened the Government Trade Forum, bringing together key stakeholders to strengthen and protect Ireland’s trade in a changing global landscape. As a small, open economy, trade is central to our prosperity. We discussed challenges and opportunities for Irish businesses. pic.twitter.com/kKKUfyvQaZ

— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) April 22, 2026

“And of course, this week at the European Council meeting in Cyprus, there’ll be a particular focus on energy, what the EU can do to support member states and what we in turn then can do to support companies, this is what we’ll be discussing here this morning,” she said.

“It is really important for me is to get feedback from those representing small, medium, large enterprises as well as workers from right across the various different sectors,” she added.

The meeting was also attended by the Tánaiste and Minister of Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, the Minister for Agriculture, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, and the Minister of State for European Affairs.

Speaking on his way into the talks, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said he would be giving an update on the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce and the Critical Infrastructure Bill.

“We’ve had really strong progress across infrastructure delivery, particularly in legal and regulatory reform, and the committee stage of the Critical Infrastructure Bill is being progressed today in the Oireachtas, and again, it’s something we want to enact before the summer,” Mr Chambers said.

“It’s a critically important bill that will accelerate infrastructure delivery, and we have real momentum now in the infrastructure cycle, and we really want to drive reform over the weeks and months to come, as well as working with all members of the trade form and how Ireland can best manage the huge level of geopolitical conflict and uncertainty, which we’re seeing across the Irish economy, and we need to continue to manage that risk in the months ahead,” he added.

Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon told the forum about the supports for the agrifood sector as part of the €505m package, benefitting farmers, fishers, foresters and farm contractors.

He said the value of Irish agrifood exports is worth over €20 billion to the Irish economy, and said 2.6 million blocks of Kerrygold butter are sold from US shelves every week.

“That is brand Ireland on a shelf. That is the work our farmers do, that drives economic activity back into our rural communities,” he said.

“I’m just back from America for St Patrick’s Day, where there was a key trade element to that visit, where Bord Bia and Irish food companies and drinks distributors to see the really prominent position of Irish produce across the US and beyond,” he stated.

Asked about comments made by former taoiseach and ex-Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, who said urban Ireland should tell rural Ireland “we’re the ones paying all the bills and you’re the ones in receipt of a lot of subsidies”, Mr Heydon said he had been “very clear, Leo’s comments were wrong”.

Mr Heydon said of his former party leader: “Beside the part of whether he should be commenting or not, the fact of the matter is, it was a very blunt description that only people in urban areas are making contributions to our tax base. That’s blatantly not true”.