Ms Martina Fitzgerald:

With regard to the question about the White Paper, it did set Ireland out as an innovation leader and that is the aim. It also drew on many of the recommendations of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare and pointed to the low level of research and development activity in the SME sector and the low level of research and development spending in Ireland in comparison. We are below the EU average. In that regard, the Commission on Taxation and Welfare made certain recommendations that, basically, some of the supports that are in place, and this is a key theme and issue which the Deputy may have seen from our speech, are just not reaching their full scope or potential. There is huge complexity to navigate and go through the process, and the research and development tax credit is one of those. The commission report actually made several recommendations. To be fair, the White Paper backed up that the sector needs to look at all of these schemes because they are not reaching their end ambition.