Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Export performance is improving, but it is effectively doing so on the back of superhuman efforts by companies that are competing in a market where the price of their exports is falling. There has been substantial cost cutting and less is being paid for labour across the board. People have become more competitive and more resourceful, but the contribution of Government policy to that would not be the main feature. There has been a common approach to developing export capacity. Nonetheless, the previous Government was in office for 14 years and only 10% of our exports come from indigenous industry. We have not made the breakthrough to having a sustainable business engine from indigenous sources. We must closely examine how well we are doing in indigenous enterprises. Some sectors are doing well but the aggregate suggests there are grounds for improvement.

We are examining the county enterprise boards issue both with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and my own Department's Minister of State, Deputy John Perry, who has responsibility for small businesses. We are examining the best way to provide coherent and effective enterprise support at local level. We will bring forward decisions in due course.

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