Eight consultancy firms from the Republic and Northern Ireland are taking part in a trade mission to the Republic of Vietnam this week. The group is hoping to generate contracts worth £5 million over the next 18 months. The trip is the first from Ireland and delegates will visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The consultants are targeting the $150 million (£100 million) annually committed to consultancy work in Vietnam by the European Union, the World Bank and UN bodies.