Ms Joanne Richardson:

We have consulted with our member companies in recent months and, as Mr. O'Neill indicated, as recently as this morning at our CEO forums. There are company-specific issues around visas. There is an ad hoc route via the IDA for individuals. However, what was taking four months a year and a half ago is taking six to nine months once the person has been identified and the company has carried out its due diligence and offered them a job. What happens in the world we live in is that with such a delay either the project is gone or the person is gone. Companies have real life examples of where investment has been lost. We have officially made representation on the issue. One aspect is the processing of visas and the other side on which we have more work to do ourselves is opening up the visa system and welcoming people with certain skills into the country on a green card system to build a pool of skills. We must build such a pool in the short term.