Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Eamon Gilmore will hold a conference  wiht all his ambassadors and consuls in Dublin, this week, with the aim of building on the political momentum created by Queen Elizabeth and President Barack Obama’s trips to Ireland.
 
Gilmore has invited 76 ambassadors and consuls to the conference in Dublin. The two-day event will be addressed by Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny on strategies for the promotion of Ireland.
 
The conference will be a preparation for the second global forum which is due to take place in Dublin this October, at Farmleigh House. Leading figures from the world of business and finance will attend.
 
This week’s gather also fulfils part of the new government’s Programme for Government as they proposed to recall Ireland’s ambassadors within 100 days of their election for briefings on marketing Ireland.
 
Gilmore said Obama’s meeting would reassure the US Chamber of Commerce in Ireland with relation to the corporate tax rate. The Tanaiste described trade and employment between the US and Ireland as “two-way traffic”. Currently over 90,000 Irish people are employed by US companies in Ireland while 80,000 Americans are employed by Irish companies in the US.
 
Speaking to the Sunday Business Post, Gilmore said the two recent State visits had given Ireland “the opportunity to communicate positive messages and to have a strategy to extend trade and increase tourism, as well as promoting Irish products’’.
 
Last Monday’s talks at Famleigh House, in the Phoenix Park, between President Obama,  Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore were upgraded to the status of an official bilateral meeting. They discussed economic affairs and trade, the EU/IMF bailout and the peace process.
 
This week’s conference’s schedule will include presentations from Danny McCoy, director general of Ibec; John Whelan, chief executive of the Irish Exporters’ Association; Peter Nelson, chief executive of Valentia Technologies; Pat McGrath, managing director of the PM Group; and John Moloney, group managing director of Glanbia.
 
Presentations will also be given by Frank Ryan of Enterprise Ireland, Barry O’Leary of IDA, Aidan Cotter of Bord Bia and Niall Gibbons of Tourism Ireland.