Mr. Michael McLoughlin:

When we started, our year one model was to go out and identify connectors, those individuals who would be the eyes and ears for Ireland and who could potentially put us in contact with international expanding companies. To date, just under 1,500 people have registered with us to be the eyes and ears for Ireland and they are introducing companies on a daily basis. The process is to work in conjunction with IDA Ireland. We submit those companies' names to IDA Ireland to ensure it is not in pre-existing dialogue with those companies. If not, we go back to the connector and ask him or her to give us an introduction. It is incremental to what is already being done in the system. Any companies we are dealing with are new from a State perspective.

An issue of note in terms of approvals is that we have had another approval at IDA Ireland. All our business cases go to the management investment committee of IDA Ireland at a minimum and, in some cases, higher if grant aid is involved. We had another approval yesterday for a further 20 jobs. We are at the stage where we have 318 jobs, 266 of which are in non-Dublin locations. We have been able to do a drive from a regional perspective working with the connectors, as Mr. Terry Clune mentioned, such as Kieran Leavy or Hugh Morris, locally in helping sell their location. Based on personal connections, the early stages of influence can be very important.