Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy makes a valid point. With any new start-up, whether innovative or otherwise, there are challenges of scale and of ramping up all of the competences within that company quickly enough for it to be able to put its best foot forward. From the political perspective, the Minister and I use our good offices to open those opportunities. Working closely with the State agencies, we try and open the door for businesses which have key market opportunities in these areas. We deal closely with the likes of Bord Bia in terms of the research it provides as to where the big opportunities are, but I am happy to engage with some of the smaller innovative companies in the Deputy's constituency to which she referred and with which she is familiar in order to hear their first-hand experience of challenges they might have and how we can work to help them adapt. From Bord Bia through to all the other State agencies and ourselves in the Department, we are there to open up those opportunities and to allow the businesses to put their best foot forward. I would be interested to hear about some of the challenges that the smaller companies have in trying to do that.

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