Welcome to the Ireland Canada Business Association
The Ireland Canada Business Association (ICBA) was founded in 1978 with the mandate of promoting and developing trade and industrial links between Ireland and Canada. The organisation is a non-profit bilateral trade association (effectively acting as a quasi chamber of commerce). The Patron of the Association is the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Loyola Hearn.
The Association's members are typically drawn from a wide range of Irish and Canadian firms from the financial services, manufacturing and services sectors with operations in Canada or Ireland.
An important aim of the Association for the coming year is to facilitate interaction among members with networking events of the highest calibre.
Speech by the Honourable
Jim Flaherty
Canadian Minister of Finance
to the ICBA
October 17, 2011
Download |
 ICBA CALLS FOR DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN IRELAND AND CANADA
ON A YEAR ROUND BASIS
Research conducted by ICBA reveals compelling business case for year round direct flights between Ireland and Canada.
To read full report click here … |
ADDRESS FROM THE IRISH AMBASSADOR TO CANADA - DR. RAY BASSETT |
 Dr. Ray Bassett, Ambassador of Ireland to Canada
It is my great pleasure to express my support for the work of the Ireland Canada Business Association in developing relationships between Irish and Canadian business people and promoting trade and investment between our two countries. In my role at the Embassy of Ireland in Canada, I can see first-hand the strength and depth of the links that exist between the Irish and Canadian people, and the great potential that there is to enhance our trade relationship even further.
I regard the ICBA as an important body in that regard. It is a pro-active organisation, which brings considerable strength and expertise to the promotion of economic links between Ireland and Canada. I witnessed this at first hand when the ICBA organised a promotional visit to Canada last March which included business meetings in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.
Canada has provided a warm welcome and a new homeland to many thousands of Irish people throughout our shared history, extending back to the 17th century, and it continues to be a popular destination for young Irish people today. I was delighted with the decision of the Canadian authorities to expand the International Experience Canada working holiday programme this year, to allow up to 5,000 young Irish citizens the opportunity to live and work in Canada for a period of up to two years. Equally, it is encouraging to note that several hundred Canadian students are enrolled in higher education in Ireland and are enjoying all that student life in our cities has to offer. Cultural and academic exchanges such as these are key to building the personal relationships and business networks that will benefit both of our countries in the future.
Today, bilateral trade between Ireland and Canada is growing steadily. Canada receives almost 25% of Ireland’s foreign direct investment abroad, while Ireland is the fifth largest recipient of Canadian investment. Shared values and work practices, together with a number of bilateral agreements in areas such as research and development, make Irish and Canadian companies natural partners. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) currently being negotiated between the European Union and Canada has the potential to further open access to our markets to one another, and to facilitate freer movement of workers between our shores. This is an exciting time in relations between our two countries.
I wish the ICBA every success with their initiatives. The work they are doing in promoting business links between Ireland and Canada is very valuable is sure to be of great benefit to all involved. |
| PATRON'S ADDRESS |
 Patron of Ireland Canada Business Association
Loyola W. Hearn, Ambassador to the Embassy of Canada in Ireland
On behalf of the Embassy of Canada in Ireland and as the Patron of the Ireland Canada Business Association (ICBA), I am pleased to welcome you to this website.
Relations between Ireland and Canada have always been close - with approximately four million Canadians claiming Irish ancestry. I come from Newfoundland where 50% of the population claim Irish ancestry and where in my own home area, practically everyone is of Irish descent. While family ties form the basis of these relations, shared values and interests between our two countries have further strengthened the Canada-Ireland relationship, particularly in meeting the challenges of domestic and global governance. There is a growing dialogue, increased cooperation and sharing of "best practices" in areas such as education, parliamentary reform, healthcare, and in other social and economic policies.
Trade between the two countries is constantly growing, complemented by an increasing number of bilateral research and development initiatives, investment projects and joint ventures. A Blue Skies air agreement signed between Ireland and Canada in April 2007 now allows Canadian and Irish air carriers to provide services between any city in Canada and Ireland. We must take greater advantage of this opportunity.
The Embassy of Canada views the ICBA as an important ally, particularly as it strives to promote Canada as a globally competitive location and partner for investment, innovation and value-added production. Irish companies who are looking for a key entry point into the North America Free Trade Agreement market will find Canadian cities to be among the most cost competitive production locations in the world, while Canadian firms looking for a springboard into Europe, the Middle East and Africa will also find key advantages in Ireland.
If you are interested in further exploring this commercial relationship with one of the strongest economies in the world, I would encourage you to contact the Canadian Embassy, which has a team of dedicated Trade Commissioners that can assist you, as well as the ICBA which can expose you to a valuable network of professionals who have experience in doing business with Canada.
I would therefore like to take this opportunity to wish the Ireland Canada Business Association every success as it endeavours to carry out an ambitious program of activities this year. |
NEWSFLASH
Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty delivers a speech at a luncheon hosted by the Ireland Canada Business Association
26th August 2010
 I appreciate the work that’s being done by the Ireland-Canada Business Association maintaining the tradition and helping to establish relationships, maintain relationships, foster interaction between Ireland and Canada, particularly interaction that leads to economic growth. We have a lot in common, as was mentioned. We share the constituency at the World Bank at the IMF where Canada is proud to work with Ireland, particularly in the last few years which have been very difficult, as you know, internationally. Michael Horgan, the Deputy Minister of Finance is here.
For generations, Irish immigrants and their descendants have helped build Canada not only with their hands and their hearts but also with their brains. The Canadian Pacific Railway was the great nationbuilder in Canada which was built largely by Irish laborers, immigrants to Canada, back in the latter part of the 19th century. That is one of the great links that made Canada a country from coast to coast
In a relatively small city there were 38,000 Irish famine immigrants who came to Toronto and about a thousand of them died and many of them were children and many of them are buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. There was a lack of commemoration of this. As I say, the private sector, the group of Irish Canadians raised more than a million dollars. The Irish government at the time agreed that they would make a contribution to match any contribution that the Government of Canada would make. So we determined that we would make a contribution of half a million dollars and the Irish government matched that. That was the first time I’m told that the Irish government had made an expenditure like that outside of Ireland or the UK to commemorate the famine.
In trade – and now I’ll do some of the business part of this – last year Canada exported over half a billion dollars worth of goods to Ireland and imported almost $2.2 billion from Ireland. Last year direct investments by Irish companies in Canada totalled some $1 billion in Canadian – I’m using Canadian dollars but they’re not so bad these days, there was a time, the Canadian peso, I remember that yes, unkind I thought by some Americans – $1 billion Canadian. Canadian companies invest about $23 billion in Ireland, so we have a bit of an imbalance here that we should work at. Both our countries profit of course from this trade.
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| EVENTS |
Chief Economist Forum
Douglas Porter, Deputy Chief Economist Bank of Montreal
at ICBA Chief Economist Forum
Fergal O'Brien, Chief Economist IBEC addressing ICBA
 Dr. Pat Ivory, IBEC,
speaking at Chief Economist Forum
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Malachy Smith and Enda Newton
with Minister Arlene Foster
ICBA Chair Enda Newton and Board Member Cormac O Connell with Ambassador Ray Bassett and Deputy Minister of Finance Michael Horgan
Enda Newton with Ambassador Ray Basset and Honorable Jim Flaherty in Ottawa
ICBA Board Members outside Parliament Building Ottawa
March 2011
Toronto, 2011
Danny Mc Coy , IBEC speaking at ICBA Summit Toronto
Enda Newton with Cormac Monaghan of Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce and Micheal O’Muircheartaigh
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John O' Shea, Goal, speaking at Maple Leaf Dinner 2010
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Friday, 27th November 2009
Guest Speaker: David Mc Williams
See photos of the event
ICBA Calendar of Events |
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Enterprise Ireland announces increase in trade from Ireland to Canada