Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Irish-owned companies are doing very well in export markets. The previous Government set a target to increase Irish-owned exports by 33% by 2015. We actually achieved that last year and we need to build on it. One has to distinguish between the fact that we support with grants through Enterprise Ireland companies which are export-oriented but do not do the same for domestic retail operations for the good reason that they are largely in competition with others. It is not a fair comparison that the Deputy seeks to make. One of the new mandates of the local enterprise offices will be to look at that wider domestic economy, to give non-grant supports like mentoring so as to encourage an enterprise culture. I recognise the Deputy’s point that we need to exploit more the potential of the domestic economy.

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