Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is a problem for businesses in Ireland. Pearse Lyons, who sadly died this year, was doing great work in the microbrewing and microdistilling sector ten or 15 years ago when he came back to Ireland. He got people to think about brewing and distilling. Many developments have taken place since then. It is particularly noticeable that areas which have not enjoyed the kind of foreign direct investment from which the large cities have benefitted are now experiencing a significant organic economic development. Such development can deliver a substantial dividend in terms of jobs in areas that otherwise have been left behind. I would be delighted to see more developments at local level similar to the Longford example I gave earlier. It is interesting to note how the Scotch whisky industry developed on the Scottish islands 100 years ago, particularly in the context of the First World War. That development left Ireland behind. I am anxious to ensure we are proactive in assisting these kinds of developments.

They can add significantly to the economy. Microbreweries and microdistilleries are fashionable at the moment. I do not know if all of them will survive, but I certainly think that when they get to critical mass stage, for instance, when they have significant numbers of employees, particularly in isolated rural areas or smaller towns, they will potentially have an enormous role to play in generating the rural economy, allied with the generation of the food economy which has also been progressing. Places such as west Cork come to mind immediately.

I thank the Minister for his comments. This conversation will continue. I am happy to withdraw the amendment on the basis that the Minister has indicated that he is open to further discussions with the committee and the industries. It is important that we maximise their employment potential. There have been very strong links between them and institutes of technology. Modern scientific knowledge and qualifications have helped students studying in this area. Employment opportunities have been created for people who 12 years ago would have moved abroad to gain experience. Now there are opportunities at home. The entrepreneurial interests of many younger people have also been stimulated in a very positive way. I will withdraw the amendment and encourage people to take up the Minister's invitation to have a conversation about how the industries will grow. We are talking about a tax advantage which, correctly, should be examined and reviewed, as opposed to a grants-based approach whereby very significant grants are given. The summer festival season in Ireland now runs from Easter. This time period is really important to rural Ireland in areas outside the big cities. The opportunity for these businesses to have a presence at these events is enormous and adds to the potential for employment creation and economic development. Farmers' produce is used in these industries. It is an important and solid market for them if the industries can reach a certain scale, creating a demand that can be relied upon by those growing crops for them