Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, and comhghairdeas on your appointment as Chair of this important committee. I thank the secretariat in advance. I look forward to working with them.

I am a second-term Senator and previously served on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the drugs committee and the children and disabilities committee. I was nominated to this Seanad by RGDATA, which represents more than 3,500 indigenous independent Irish food retailers, so I obviously look forward to being a voice for them on these subjects.

As party spokesperson on Dublin and the Dublin city task force, I hope this committee will be able to address many of the opportunities and challenges the capital and the rest of the country is facing.

My previous background, outside of politics and public service, was in the tech sector, going back 20 years, working internationally, so I come with a perspective of international trade and business as well. It is often said that Ireland is an open enterprise economy. Those words can easily trip off our tongues, but we need to be careful not to forget that. This committee will have a very significant role in undertaking work that can help inform policy that can ensure we have an enterprise, tourism and employment environment that is sustainable and innovative and will serve our country into the future.

I look forward to working with all members.