Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 15 December 2016

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed)

2:00 pm

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. I welcome the Minister and thank her for her presentation. I will echo a few of the concerns that have been raised, particularly those around our collective responsibility to project the positive image of this country. That is not to say that we ignore the problems. This committee has been very good at highlighting and addressing the problems. The Minister has been very good at it as well but the overriding message has to be that we have the talent, the people and a young, well educated population that is full of energy and ambition and ready, willing and waiting to welcome new industries, whatever they might be. It is clear that there has to be opportunity as well as challenge. For those companies which have rightly been on a watch list in terms of possibly feeling they must have a foothold in the sterling area if they are to continue their businesses, we need to be taking the opportunity to invite new industries here. I know the Minister has been strong on this when on trade missions. I was struck by a conversation that I had with the Indian ambassador some years back. I do not know if he is still in situ. He may have been replaced by a successor. We have approximately 1,000 Indian people learning English in this country, but there are 100,000 in the UK. This presents a huge opportunity.

During our meeting on Brexit in Malahide, there was a presentation by Professor Brian MacCraith from Dublin City University. He spoke of the possibilities for education in the country in terms of bringing jobs and students here and it being a hub of excellence. Ireland is now very much seen as a friendly, properly regulated place and a safe place to send one's children and to come to do business. As the Minister has pointed out, the referendum on marriage equality projected a powerful image of the country as a welcoming country. That is important because, as the Minister said, there are gaps in areas and we need to bring in outside expertise for those companies that want to set up here so that they can be as successful as they wish. Is there a group made up of officials in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Education and Skills that is examining all these possibilities and how we can enhance job opportunities in our education sector, be it secondary, language or tertiary education?

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