Dr. Ian Jones:

There are no real competitors in Ireland for what we do. We are not a giant, but we have a global market for our sensors and our customer base in Ireland is not large. Conversely to what the Deputy said, it is industry-led education and we are the company that is leading it and developing content. This is based on an appreciation of an international dynamic not just a domestic one. We are engaged with Rutgers University, Purdue University, Pfizer, GSK, Boston Scientific, Kerry Group and so on around the world. We have a good appreciation of what is happening in those sectors globally and are developing content and programmes that meet the needs of those industries. Understanding the global dynamic ensures that our graduates are relevant at a domestic level as well.

There is no conflict. At least, we have never encountered one. We have hired many students from our programmes. That is brilliant, as they are adding great value to Innopharma Labs. If one considers our Springboard or Momentum programmes, our metric is all about getting people jobs. We do not mind whether they work with us, although we are delighted if they do. The most important factor is whether they get jobs and are happy.