Mr. Martin Shanahan:

The Secretary General has probably covered most of the items raised at this stage.

On the question on engagement and the level of input of businesses, the answer is that it has been quite substantial. There are a number of ways of feeding into the action plan. In the first instance, there is an open invitation and a facility on the DJEI website, whereby any member of the public can make a submission on the action plan. I write specifically to individuals and particularly to representative groups seeking an input. The Minister has met a significant number of groups and individuals, whom we felt might have something to say and offer in terms of suggestions on the action plan. They range from entrepreneurs, particularly young entrepreneurs, to business people managing significant businesses to representative groups of multinationals, indigenous and small businesses. We invite comment from across the public system as they are the ones who will be delivering a good deal of this and thereby seek their input in the first instance. The employee representatives - the unions - have been invited to make submissions, as have the representatives of the unemployed. We have met the INOU, among others. Those operating in academic and other think-tanks have also been invited. To give a sense of the scale of the process involved, it generated in the region of 700 possible suggestions, although they overlap and involve a good deal of duplication and a different take on different matters. Our own research, analysis and so on act as an overlayer and it is then a matter of trying to bring it down to something more manageable.

On the Secretary General's point on language skills, we must recognise that it is quite an ask of the education system. There are multiple areas in which we see the need for additional skills, whether they be ICT or selling skills to sell abroad. Having language skills is not only a requirement for those taking up jobs in international companies here, they also give people the ability to go abroad and sell, which is probably a significant issue for us at this time. Technical skills, the output from apprenticeships and ensuring good connections are all issues. We are constantly in discussions with colleagues in the Department of Education and Skills about trying to ensure there is a match in that regard.