Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

In the main part of his answer the Minister looked backwards saying, correctly, how well we have done over the past ten years. He notes that the enterprise strategy group suggests that we need to change things slightly and gradually. That was the tone in which I understood him to respond. I need to read the full response later.

I could not disagree more with him. There is a range of strategic issues which, if the Minister were to look forward rather than backward, he would see require us to make urgent changes. These include the rapidly changing global competitive market, the fact that other countries will emulate our low tax rates, and the fact that our cost-competitiveness is running far above that of our competitors.

Unfortunately, he did not have time to list the changes verbally, apart from those internal to Enterprise Ireland. The enterprise strategy group looked specifically for the following improvements which have not been implemented: export Ireland and technology Ireland divisions within Enterprise Ireland, the need for 1,000 graduates in sales and marketing on a co-operative basis; a budget of €20 million a year for enterprise-led networks, the one step up initiative programme, higher education benchmarking with the very best, increased research and development to match our basic research and development within firms and applied research and development. These are only some of the group's recommendations. I regret that the Minister did not have time to finish reading his response. I look forward to reading the balance of it later.

The only answer he seems to have describes an internal reshuffle within Enterprise Ireland which does not nearly match the changes we need to face the future.

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