Ms Mary Buckley:

With regard to multilingual talent and the ability to have other languages, when foreign direct investment came to Ireland a number of years ago, one of the key advantages was that we were English-speaking. However, that is no longer the case today. All business is global and the need to have language skills is critical. I outlined in my submission some of the large multinational companies that are based here and their skills requirements. For example, Google, whose activities are spread across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, would have about 45 languages within its operation in Dublin; SAP would have another 20 or 21 languages in Galway; and Apple in Cork is a multilingual centre. Therefore, the breadth of language skills is much greater now than it ever was before. When one is conscious of working in business, the need to have another language is critical. Without a doubt, it is very important to do as much as we can around the area of other languages and having the ability to be multilingual.

On Senator White's comment on the LEOs, which are run and overseen by Enterprise Ireland, the launch of the new enterprise strategies will serve to assess what are the strengths and opportunities within the different regions. I am sure the whole area of start-ups and entrepreneurship will be important and all the stakeholders will have a role to play to ensure there is success within the regions around the areas they identify as being important for economic viability. We will all have a role to play in that.