An autumn day in Ottawa's Gatineau Park.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, today commenced a week-long trade and foreign direct investment mission to the US and Canada, including Ireland’s largest ever trade mission to Canada.

Some 35 Irish companies are participating on the Canadian leg of the mission from sectors including software, telecoms and financial services. In New York, Enterprise Ireland said Coughlan will meet with various US multinationals and "her principal focus will be on attracting new US investment and jobs to Ireland."

Stops in the Canadian cities of Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa are planned.

The CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Frank Ryan said: “On average we see ten Irish companies setting up business in Canada every year. Irish products have already received an outstanding reception in Canada in the areas of financial, software solutions, life sciences and cleantech over recent years."

In 2008, Irish bilateral trade dominated by multinationals totalled €0.76bn.

Sales in the Canadian market by Irish-owned SMEs have trebled in the past five years and are set to reach €162m this year, representing year-on-year growth of over 20% over this period.

Last March, a trade mission to coincide with Taoiseach Brian Cowen's St. Patrick's Day visit to Washington DC, was claimed by Enterprise Ireland to have generated new orders.

EI later confirmed to Finfacts that it had been economical with the truth as the "new" orders dated back to the prior six months period.