Minute from Seán MacBride to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)

Secretary:
I agree with the proposal of the Minister for Finance to set up a working party to consider methods of increasing dollar earnings.

I think that our exports could be increased considerably if the proper initiative were taken. My view is that all foreign trade should be centralised in a section in this Department with an energetic man at the top whose job would be to develop new markets for our exports.

At the moment it is everybody's business and nobody's business. I feel that all questions of foreign trade should be centralised in a section analogous to the British and Overseas Trade. If this were done, it would be worth appointing a Commercial Attaché in Washington or New York and to appoint a couple of roving Commercial Attachés who could cover Europe.