Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As a State, we have become very reliant on foreign direct investment. We have done an excellent job in attracting these companies of the last decades. Their taxation contributes dramatically to our finances, which is welcome. Enterprise Ireland also does great work in promoting Ireland's businesses and exports. In 2021, Enterprise Ireland-backed companies employed more than 200,000 people, and contributed billions of euro in exports and billions of euro to the economy as well. This is tremendous work but there is scope to scale up and support a focus on SMEs that are trading domestically. The setting up of an Irish enterprise agency would contribute greatly. That is the purpose of this question, which I have raised with the Minister of State previously.

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