Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

As a percentage of world share exports have fallen from 1.5% to 1.4%. However, there also have been changes in terms of the volume of world share. Obviously, growth in the past decade has been extremely rapid and the National Competitiveness Council compares Ireland with a number of benchmarked countries. This is important when preparing for the future and in ensuring that we provide the key ingredients to ensure our future competitiveness.

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