Ms Jacqueline Gilna:

From the Irish perspective, not from the Canadian-Irish perspective, it is worth considering that our State agency, Enterprise Ireland, should establish programmes that speak to the SMEs. From my experience, many Irish companies looking to bounce abroad tend to think of Silicon Valley and they go in asking for $2 million or $3 million. That just does not fly; they laugh. They would perhaps not be interested in your organisation. It is about educating our SME sector here on the ground level as to what the expectation is, not just in Canada but in the North American market, taking two different cultures, that is, the Canadian culture of doing business and the US. Coming into Canada gives businesses the platform to go into the United States. There should be programmes for SMEs by our State agencies and they should get them early and nurture them along the road. Right now, unless you have a multiplier and you get to €100 million, you do not qualify. I recall being on a committee with Enterprise Ireland and I asked the ladies in the group how many of them were on €10,000 per month in recurring revenue and nobody put their hand up, yet we were speaking to them about €100 million to do an exit. I suggest State agencies focus on the smaller groups. Let us take them, nurture them, educate them and get them ready.