MINISTER RICHARD Bruton has begun a three-day trade mission to France with representatives from 36 Irish companies.

The trip, organised by Enterprise Ireland, aims to build on Irish exports to France – which grew by 14 per cent last year. Total Irish exports to France are currently worth about €10 billion a year.

The minister will hold meetings with leading French companies in the Brittany and Paris regions, according to Enterprise Ireland, and he will be promoting Irish exporters in the agri-tech, cleantech, engineering and construction sectors.

“Our trade relationship with France is already very strong and this mission is about cementing and building on these existing links and opening new doors for increased export business and collaborative business ventures,” Bruton said before the trip.

Enterprise Ireland CEO Frank Ryan said: “There are excellent growth opportunities for innovation-led, export focused Irish firms in the French market and Enterprise Ireland is on hand to help those companies in this market.”

“A large number of Irish companies are already operating successfully in France and we are confident that a number of further business successes will result from this trip,” he added.

France is currently Ireland’s fifth-largest market for goods and fourth-largest for services.