Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Reference was made to IBEC's For Peace + Prosperity campaign. It is a really visual campaign. I take on board what Mr. McDonnell has said and I have gone through ISME's pre-budget submission. His point about the over-the-horizon risks is important but I would also point to the over-the-horizon opportunities. With every risk, there is an opportunity. There certainly is an opportunity to prepare, which feeds into what he said earlier.

In its campaign document, IBEC has identified as a priority "[t]aking an all-island approach to FDI by promoting the synergies to be achieved across all-island supply chains; access to talent; R&D capacity and other economies of scale benefits". That is really important. Could ISME apply the same priorities in respect of SMEs? Coming from the west, I have in mind in particular the opportunities presented by the Atlantic economic corridor, Atlantic Technological University, ATU, and the all-island rail review that is awaited. How important are all those factor to SMEs, how important is it to have joined-up thinking under those headings and what do we need to do to maximise those opportunities across the island?