Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 9 October 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs
European Union-United Kingdom Trade: Discussion
10:00 am
Mr. Steve Harper:
It means people in the working age range from 16 to 64 who are not actively seeking employment.
It can include early retirees and working mothers who have decided not to return to the workforce. We are trying to work with companies to access some of those labour pools and make it easier. Our Executive, for example, is bringing forward childcare supports to allow parents to return to the workforce. The economy is going well for us, our exports continue to grow and our job is really to continue to drive that. As my colleagues in InterTradeIreland have said, the restoration of the Executive is very welcome. It allows us to do things such as have a Minister to open doors and do business around tables that we as a business development agency are unable to. That is very welcome. It also presents that stability which Northern Ireland really needs to project on the world stage. Lastly, as to Deputy Haughey's final question on whether the Assembly, the Irish Government and the UK Government could do more to highlight Northern Ireland, I am of course going to say yes. I absolutely would like it to be front and centre. My job is to sell Northern Ireland around the world. Anything they can do would be very beneficial.