Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests. I am on quorum duty in the convention centre, so I may have to dash if a bell rings. From the Government perspective, €5.4 billion has been set aside in the budget as a contingency and conscious of the fact that there are many uncertainties and that the Government has to be prepared for various eventualities to which we would have to respond. One of the important things is to try to identify the areas in which we may use that funding.

Mr. Murray commented that credit has been exhausted. Is that a problem just around the Border region or is it prevalent throughout the country? I read comments to the contrary which stated that businesses did not wish to take up the credit. If that is an issue, I am sure it can be addressed.

I absolutely agree with Ms King about the need for a significant shift in education and training. To what extent are the institutions responding to that need in terms of employers investing more in training, but also in terms of education institutions devoting more of their time in a flexible way to people who are already in the workforce? Is that happening?

There is a fear that there will be disruption in Dover and other crossing points. To what extent have employers tested the contingency arrangements that are in place to find other routes? Has that been stress-tested to any significant degree?