John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for appearing before the committee today. I met one of the InterTradeIreland representatives some months ago. I wish to follow up one aspect which is not altogether related to today's discussion on access to finance. It is more related to the initiative that InterTradeIreland runs for businesses on both sides of the Border to help to create the first experience of an export market. It applies to southern businesses heading up to do business in the North and the services available in the North, which seem to be rather good. The research shows that when people get experience of exporting from the South to the North they are far more capable of exporting on an international basis. This is one of the things I like about InterTradeIreland. How successful has that initiative been to date? What numbers are involved? I will understand if the deputation does not have the figures today and I realise this was not the reason they have come before the committee. What sort of improvement has InterTradeIreland identified in increasing the amount?

There is an issue with the advertising of services and businesses seem to experience a lack of information. I assume it is the same with InterTradeIreland. What is to be done, short of Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and the new local enterprise offices, when they start up, knocking on the doors of every business? Even at that some might not take up the offers available. We face the same difficulty in the political world when we are trying to disseminate information. Some people simply do not take it up.

I realise many of the people InterTradeIreland is trying to target are busy already. These are people in small companies. Sometimes the multitude of services that the likes of InterTradeIreland provides is the last thing they are thinking of, although it should be the first in many respects. What is the solution on advertising? I realise there is no silver bullet, short of knocking on the door of every business and handcuffing the people involved to their seats and putting it to them that they must listen to the message because it is worthwhile. Otherwise we will be back here in two years time discussing the matter with InterTradeIreland, the new local enterprise offices or Enterprise Ireland, and lamenting that people do not know enough.

Earlier today, the Credit Review Office released information stating that almost half of the applications that had been refused initially by banks were then overturned when they went to the Credit Review Office. This is relevant in trying to tell businesses about the advantages of going to the Credit Review Office and explaining that it is worthwhile, because the proof is in the eating of the pudding.