Minister McEntee attends OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, is travelling to Paris today to represent Ireland at the annual Ministerial Council Meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The meeting comes as Ireland prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union next month, with competitiveness, innovation and economic resilience key themes across both agendas.

The OECD is a group of 38 countries, together with the EU, that works to promote economic growth, trade and higher living standards. Its annual Ministerial Council Meeting brings together ministers from around the world to discuss major global economic and trade issues.

As a lead speaker in a session on industrial policy, Minister McEntee will highlight Ireland's approach to strengthening competitiveness through investment in research and innovation, skills development, access to finance and digital infrastructure. She will also outline work underway on Enterprise 2035, Ireland's new national industrial strategy to support enterprise growth and job creation over the coming decade.

The Minister will also participate in discussions on the role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in supporting innovation and growth. She will highlight measures to accelerate the adoption of AI and digital technologies by businesses, particularly SMEs, through Ireland's Digital Ireland strategy, €23 million in support for European Digital Innovation Hubs and the recently launched €21 million National Start-Up Accelerator Programme. The Minister will also outline plans to establish a National AI Office and AI Regulatory Sandbox to support the responsible development and deployment of AI. This comes ahead of Ireland hosting an international AI Summit in October, bringing together global policymakers, industry leaders and researchers to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.

Alongside the formal sessions, Minister McEntee will meet with counterparts from a number of OECD member countries to discuss international and bilateral issues. This will include meetings with New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Investment, Todd McClay, Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell, and France's Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans, Catherine Vautrin.

Speaking in advance of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, Minister McEntee said: "At a time of significant economic and technological change, countries need to work together to strengthen competitiveness, support innovation and ensure the benefits of growth are widely shared. The OECD plays an important role in helping governments develop evidence-based solutions to these challenges.

"Ireland has built a strong reputation in innovation, technology and international trade. Through initiatives such as Enterprise 2035 and Digital Ireland, we are investing in the skills, research, infrastructure and supports that businesses need to grow, innovate and adopt new technologies.

"These discussions come at an important time as Ireland prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Strengthening Europe's competitiveness will be a key focus of our Presidency, and many of the issues being discussed at the OECD, including industrial policy, innovation and emerging technologies, are central to that objective."

ENDS
Press Office
3 June 2026