Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Many years of bad policies have led to the scale of these figures, which will not be reversed overnight. We will do our level best to make jobs our priority and reverse those losses.

I am very keen to provide more mentoring support and support generally to management capability in a broader range of companies than now receive support. I would be keen to see ways developed that would result in more business-to-business support in the way the Deputy suggests. That would include people who have experience but have been displaced from companies. In the review I am undertaking, I would be keen to see whether we can do more in that area. Unfortunately, we will be seeking to do more with less. We will be looking to chambers of commerce, Plato groups and so on that have been successful in bringing a mix of talent to bear and helping companies to expand and develop. It will be trying to promote self-help groups rather than the State being involved in funding and selecting. I believe there is scope in this area, as the Deputy rightly says.

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