Mr. Tom Hayes:

Perhaps I will add a little to what has already been said about indigenous exporters. Over two years ago, we set up the potential exporters unit to hit at those indigenous companies for which exporting was only marginal - with an export output of only 5% to 10% - or which were focusing on the domestic market 100%. We put huge effort into that area in the past two years. Around 900 companies attended export awareness events, 300 of which have attended exporting exploration workshops. These are two-day workshops which go through all the mechanics of how to export, with mentoring support, back-up support and advice and connections with our UK office. We have invested a significant amount of money in those workshops in terms of internationalisation grants and feasibility research. That is a cohort of indigenous companies for which exporting would not be the number one priority but we are trying to inspire them and encourage them to export. These companies are spread all around the country.

On the regionalisation issue, we have done much work in the midlands region in terms of outlining what is available, company profiles and the strengths and weaknesses of the region, working with colleges and local enterprise offices. We are looking at the whole enterprise base and working with the IDA to see how we can work better together, rather than having a situation in which Enterprise Ireland does its piece and the IDA does its piece. The results of this will be rolled out in each of the regions.

Deputy Calleary raised the issue of LEOs, which is a challenge. We have already had a number of information days at which Enterprise Ireland and local authorities have outlined the range of services and supports to be provided to the staff of LEOs, and we have also had representatives from the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Protection to ensure a level of joined-up thinking. This will ensure that when a person approaches a LEO, he or she can be directed elsewhere in the event that a LEO cannot assist directly. Commencing this week, some 125 staff will be involved in change management. There is a culture change for people who have worked all their lives in a local authority and those who would have been on the front line in enterprise. We are rolling out a change management process commencing this week.

We are obsessed by the customer, who is king. Senator Feargal Quinn spoke at one of our information days about the customer and we all know the focus he puts on the customer. Irrespective of the changes taking place, the focus on the customer is crucial. The final aspect is that we must ensure the functional competencies of the staff are up to date and up to speed in terms of sectoral dynamics, understanding business propositions, business plans and being able to read the financial statements and accounts of a company, and understanding changing dynamics and technologies within sectors. We are rolling out a suite of programmes to ensure the staff are in a position to connect with the client base that is operational within the LEOs.