Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Going back to the Deputy's first question, the opportunities we have identified and prioritised are in fintech and construction. We launched a construction forum. The construction industry in Canada is buoyant and there are huge opportunities for Irish high-tech construction firms. Some of the senior executives of various companies in the Canadian construction sector are also first-generation Irish and that goes back to our point about the Irish diaspora.

On FDI, as part of the OECD arrangement we are going to 15% and IDA Ireland has done a strong job in communicating that. The recent budget also includes improvements in the research and development tax credit that will allow companies increase their research and development presence and the value of their presence in Ireland. We had a number of engagements with IDA Ireland client companies where we walked through what will be involved in that. The companies do not just come here for tax reasons, as the Deputy knows. They come because of our strong labour force and strong skills availability. We were able to go through the work that is under way on skills and future skills needs, the work being done, for instance on AI, by the commission on future skills needs. We were able to give assurances our skills profile is still strong and still relevant to the kind of companies we are engaging with. Our tax offering is one aspect, but the research and development offering is another and the importance of the availability of a strong labour force that is highly educated and flexible cannot be overstated.