Ms Elaina Fitzgerald Kane:

I thank the Senator very much. The matter of green investment in transportation is major. As I alluded to earlier, the profit margin in SMEs is very limited. We are coming from the pandemic where there is a huge overhang in terms of losses. Those very ambitious targets are not going to be achieved unless there is a step change in funding. There are big challenges for the SEAI. My colleagues in Fáilte Ireland and the Department are doing their best in terms of making inroads in that, but there needs to be a different mentality around it. There is not enough support if one wants to stand up and make a difference. We need recognition that there are people at different stages as well.

We have a solar farm on our own property and it is a huge commitment. We are looking at biomass and different opportunities. We feel that there is not enough advice in respect of a central repository of advice, nor do we feel there is enough funding. The same passion is not there in terms of the private and public aspect of it.

The Senator touched on work permits. There are different versions of permits. There is a six-month delay for asylum seekers getting an opportunity to work. We have some incredibly bright and brilliant people who are highly skilled. That is definitely something that should be prioritised. No matter whether it is healthcare, tourism or retail, there are so many versions of how that should be expedited. There is a huge impact. Not being able to do anything for six months is soul destroying at a very basic human level, especially for people who want to build their lives here. We must look at that.

Running side by side with that is the whole issue of work permits. There are 20,000 vacancies in the tourism sector alone. One of the issues we are very mindful of is that the rules on permits reference critical skills. Chefs are included in the critical skills programme and now there is an opportunity for managers, of which there are acute shortages, including preceding the pandemic. What is important is that we look at what happens beyond the two years. I will give an example. I have two amazing guys who work in our kitchen team. They want to be reunified with their families and to build a life here. Their spouses are very skilled in their own right, yet there is no opportunity to do that. If we really want to go the distance with people who want to build their lives here, who have a major opportunity to contribute, we must look at that.

One of the points I did not address earlier was short-term tourism lets. The whole urban versus rural aspect of it must be addressed. There is a stall at EU level, but it would appear that Scotland's model has a lot of merit to it. We must be very mindful of that. I have heard of letters being sent to people. A few cases came up in County Kerry in particular as part of the previous committee meeting. That is not reflective of the realities that exist in the current tourism season or the EU stall. We must make progress on that as well.