The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, has been asked to explain what the Government's trade policy actually is. The call by the Irish Exporters' Association follows the Minister's decision to restructure State agencies, FAS, Forbairt and the Irish Trade Board.

"The new agency will include the export development function, according to the Minister's press release, but a statement of trade policy is still awaited, despite the commitment given in Partnership 2000," the association's chief executive, Mr Colum MacDonnell, said.

He said it was remarkable that the agency restructuring was announced "before we have details of the policies which the new agency is to implement".

In an article on the restructuring of the agencies in yesterday's Irish Times, a quote from a spokesman said that FAS welcomed the changes and looked forward to implementing them quickly and seamlessly without disruption to existing clients. This quote should have been attributed to Forbairt.