Mr. Niall O'Donnellan:

I thank the Chairman and members for giving Enterprise Ireland the opportunity to speak to the joint committee. Enterprise Ireland is responsible for helping Irish companies export throughout the world. More than 3,000 clients sell internationally to 189 countries, resulting in more than €17 billion in export sales in 2013. This has resulted in more than 300,000 jobs in these companies through direct and indirect employment, which is 16% of the workforce. As we speak, clients are operational throughout the world in all major centres, with teams from these companies talking to buyers, investors and suppliers, working with key decision-makers on current and future projects, as well as working on-site in many locations. All of this requires global mobility, which is absolutely central and which covers the sectors in which they are involved, namely, software services, engineering, life sciences and food. Our companies are regionally spread throughout Ireland, with the majority of jobs being outside Dublin. As for the markets into which our companies sold in 2013, in terms of exports, 36% went to the United Kingdom, 21% into northern Europe, 12% into southern Europe and the Middle East, 12% into the United States of America and 7% into the Asia-Pacific region. As members can see, these exports are spread widely throughout the world. These are global companies selling internationally.

Enterprise Ireland works with these companies in developing their business plans, building their capability, introducing them to opportunities overseas, helping them to access the knowledge and research in colleges and providing finance, both directly and indirectly. We have 32 offices overseas in all the key markets. As I stated, central to the selling ability of our companies is air connectivity to all key world markets. Consequently, the critical issue for Enterprise Ireland is direct access to key markets. Enterprise Ireland and its clients certainly seek to understand that there is a potential for increased direct access to global hubs for connecting flights, as well as access to regions in the United Kingdom, that is, not just the south east and London region but also to other regions in the United Kingdom. Moreover, as a consequence of the regional spread of Enterprise Ireland's companies, access from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and throughout Ireland is of deep importance. As a conclusion, the overall criterion for Enterprise Ireland and its clients as to changes in the provision of air connectivity is whether the current services are, at the very least, not disimproved. Ideally, they would be improved.