Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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I thank Mr. Clancy for his response. I appreciate it is not a core area of responsibility, but it should be. I will outline the difficulty. It is not a question but more of an observation that we can perhaps pick up at a later date. Where there are issues around breaches of workers' rights and entitlements or non-recognition of trade unions, or where a trade union is active and a WRC recommendation is received, it is not desirable, certainly on the part of the workers, when they hear these companies are, in some instances, in receipt of State funds and engaging with the State, but at the same time, when there is a recommendation from the WRC, they walk away from it. I am not suggesting for a minute, by the way, that workers' rights can be bought; they cannot because eventually the price becomes too high and it is not a good way to be. I am just putting it into the representatives' heads that there is that kind of juxtaposition, which is not lost on workers who see that the State operates in a favourable way to employers, but does not then place an onus on employers to recognise the machinery of the State. There is work that needs to be done. It is an issue I have raised with business representatives in other arenas. I know the witnesses are not representing business here, but I have raised that issue. We have a lot of work to do because it is not good enough to say we know they need to up their game on terms and conditions. As I said, that is more of an observation.

I have a question for both witnesses on the innovation opportunities for Irish companies specifically in renewable energy and the green economy. Do they see this as a specific area for Irish companies to maximise growth and job potential? Will they give us an overview of the plans and, specifically, the growth of job potential in the area of renewables and the green economy?