Ms Catherine Heaney:

The Deputy mentioned that a group from IBEC appeared before the committee. We do not see ourselves as a lobby group because our job is to support the implementation of the national plan. I am not aware of the issues he encountered with that scheme, but he identified a more important issue when he said that SMEs are sometimes harder to reach because there are more of them. An SME usually comprises between one and ten people and they are not always as on top of things as a local authority, which may have designated staff to look at what schemes are available. We understand those issues because we are trying to communicate the benefits of CSR and how if an organisation engages in CSR practice, it can gain a competitive advantage. That is a hard message to sell to a corner shop because it is difficult to reach such businesses. If we work positively to promote CSR practice across business, Ireland can become a CSR leader and it will become part of the genetics of organisations, which will start their day by understanding they have a responsibility to the environment. They will ask how they can make that work and from where they can get help. We have to make circumstances easier for SMEs in general and make sure that the available provisions are landing in the appropriate places at the right time.