Ireland eyes 'soft power' with global footprint plan
Development aid is a moral duty for any country – particularly one like ours that experienced the Great Famine. But there is also a cold political reality: it helps to build alliances and trade with other countries
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar promised in his leadership campaign that he would come up with a plan to double Ireland's global footprint.
Given that he will be a year in office on Thursday, there was an understandable push on to get the 'Global Ireland' plan out before that anniversary.
So Varadkar and several of his ministers - Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Minister for Business Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts Josepha Madigan andMinister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee– turned up with the document in their hands yesterday.
