Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I remember driving from Cork to Donegal once and the suspension was gone on my car. I felt like I had gone to Mars and back. By the time I landed, I felt like I had been blown backwards. I did not know what had hit me.

I have a couple of follow-on questions. Mr. Connick talked about perception and stuff like that. Have our guests any comments on the perception of what it is like to work in this industry? We are trying to get people to obtain professional qualifications through third level or whatever it is. How do we tackle the perception piece to show it is not just about seasonal workers and there is a long-term opportunity there, or indeed what work is being done to create those career paths so people do not feel there is no opportunity to move or grow in the sector?

The other question is around greening Ireland. This big move to green, whatever it looks like or whatever it is, is going to be challenging for many businesses, especially SMEs with tiny profit margins facing requirements for upfront cash. We spoke in the earlier session of a central repository of information on how businesses are going to move to this green economy.

Do the witnesses have any thoughts on the supports that are available or should be made available in their sectors to help businesses in this move we are all potentially looking at?