Róisín Garvey (Green Party)
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I thank the Minister for coming before the committee. It is impressive that we have such a low unemployment rate, which has happened on his watch, despite the pandemic and all the other things that have been happening. We must acknowledge that. It is super that we can say we have such a low unemployment rate. There are many jobs out there. We must acknowledge that and give some gratitude to the Minister for it. I wish him luck when he takes on his new role in December.

I will now turn to slightly more challenging topics. I have a couple of quick questions. I will again raise the corporate sustainability due diligence directive. What is Ireland's position on the directive? We all know there are deep concerns around human rights and environmental violations. Irish companies and multinationals based here are not immune from the problem. Half of the top 60 companies in Ireland scored less than 20% on embedded respect for human rights in their global operations in a recent study by Trinity College Dublin. We have all seen images of child labour, devastating pollution and all that goes with fast fashion and all of that. It is a serious issue and there is an opportunity at the discussion tables at EU level for Ireland to strengthen the case and this potentially good EU legislation. What is our position in that respect? Who is at the table for us? Is it the Minister for Foreign Affairs? Who do we go to about this issue? I know it is not a matter for the Minister before us.

I thank him for the great supports provided to small businesses in the budget. He mentioned T-BESS in his opening address. If businesses are not given proper advice or a half-day energy audit, they will not necessarily invest in the best places. I conducted energy audits with schools for many years. We often used to focus on the low-cost stuff first. Some schools were putting up photovoltaic panels but leaving the lights on all night. The education piece is of paramount importance. I would like to see local enterprise offices, LEOs, and Enterprise Ireland with boots on the ground and going into businesses. It would not be a bureaucratic thing. We could offer a free energy audit and then offer a grant to a business that avails of that audit. Otherwise the grant will be spent on measures that are not the first things required. It is like the retrofit scheme. Photovoltaic panels should not be put on a roof if there is no attic insulation. We cannot assume that businesses are energy conservation experts because they are not. They do not have time to be. They really want practical advice. I do not see the training being provided in that regard. That piece is missing. We want the money to go to the best place to provide the most energy efficiency.

Because of the climate and biodiversity issues we face, we should have specific measures for food production and food businesses. We are currently importing 20% of our potatoes, 95% of our apples, 80% of our onions and 37% of our carrots. It could be said that relates to agriculture but these are food businesses. We have some growers here but need to up our game big time if we want food security. The future is unpredictable for many reasons. I would love to see the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment take food production in this country seriously. Indigenous fruits and vegetables are being grown so that they are more resilient to our weather and will require fewer chemicals. I am talking about seed sovereignty and supporting brilliant organisations such as the Irish Seed Savers Association. If we cannot feed people, they cannot go to work. I highlight food businesses. I will stop talking now, otherwise the Minister will not have an opportunity to reply.