Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 23 March 2023
Public Accounts Committee
2021 Financial Statements of Enterprise Ireland: Discussion
9:30 am
Mr. Leo Clancy:
Tech, not really. If I have a concern for tech, it is the ability of our firms to raise more money for themselves as they grow. That is probably the risk, that their growth will be suppressed.
Tech has not gone away. I led the tech sector at IDA Ireland for eight years before I took on this job. We are seeing, as the Deputy mentioned, very significant losses in the global tech sector. The demand for tech, while muted in certain areas as a result of the economic circumstances, has not gone away. Actually, we are seeing the demand for tech accelerate.
The issue will be one of funding, confidence and probably around valuations as well. We see a risk on the financial side. It is, are the valuations that were proposed still valid? That is probably the most significant risk. I will ask Mr. Sherry to add to this because he is working on this portfolio every day.