The Irish and Japanese governments have signed an agreement where Irish beef products will return to Japan after a 12 year absence. The ban on Irish beef was put in place by Japan at the height of the BSE scare in 2001. The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney T.D., and Irish Taoiseach lead a trade delegation to Japan in hopes to secure agricultural treaties and agreements between the two nations. The Minister and An Taoiseach were part of a trade delegation consisting of Bord Bia, Teagasc and IBEC. Minister Coveney met with his Japanese counterpart Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The ASTI (Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland) has donated €10,000 to the Filipino relief effort. The Philippines experiences some of the worst storms the islands have ever seen. 4 million children in the Philippines have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The donation is in direct response to UNICEF's call for aid.
The Irish government and Enterprise Ireland have announce a five year plan to attract Indian students to Ireland. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, announced that Ireland is on track to more than double the number of Indian Students in third level education at Irish universities and colleges. These students bring in €50million in fee income and a further €50million on accommodation, services and other expenditure.