Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Community Partnership Mobilisation Programme: ConnectIreland

1:30 pm

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the members of the deputation and congratulate them on the work they have done in such a short time. This is a great example of local communities in Ireland and our diaspora empowering themselves to create jobs in Ireland. I was pleased to hear Mr. Dowling refer to the local enterprise offices in local authorities. I had planned to ask a question on this. This will be the key. If we are to focus on job creation in our rural areas, it is important we are on the ground in local communities and we ensure the relevant agencies talk to entrepreneurs and the local communities. It is important that we get them on board.

The deputation mentioned messaging and the challenge of keeping the momentum going. Mr. Dowling mentioned ConnectIreland's connection with the various Departments. Can he expand on the organisation's relationship with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? Does ConnectIreland have direct face-to-face contact with ambassadors throughout the globe?

The deputation mentioned Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports. Has ConnectIreland considered airlines that may not fly directly into Ireland, for example, Qantas, but which fly to places like Australia? That is a place with an extensive Irish diaspora and it is somewhere this message could be delivered.

Mr. Dowling mentioned IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. These organisations are all doing separate things but they are linked. I would like him to expand on the protocols in place to ensure there is no overlap between what IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and ConnectIreland are doing.

What could we do to get this message out? This is a fantastic initiative. In Galway, where I am from, there has been a major success story in Kinvara. Jobs have been created in that locality due to one person's home connection. As the deputation said, it was simply through a connector expressing an interest and asking why it should not be Ireland, Galway and Kinvara.

What can we do? Given the nature of word-of-mouth and so on, the Irish have a track record of being able to network but we need to keep the momentum going. That is important. Perhaps the deputation could expand on these questions for me.

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