Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ó chailín amháin as Gaillimh go cailín eile as Gaillimh, cuirim fáilte roimh Máire Geoghegan-Quinn go dtí an Teach seo.

I have always seen the Commissioner as a big-picture politician and it is lovely to hear that being recognised here today. I have two brief questions. I am a member of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. One point that struck me was that if we implemented the EU services directive our growth would increase by 2% of GDP. The Commissioner's portfolio is about growth, innovation and our future, both here and in Europe. Looking across the different Commissioners that Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn works with, what is slowing down the implementation of that directive? If it can deliver us a 2% growth in GDP it would be very significant.

My second point is similar to what Senators Bacik and Zappone said. Social innovation is critical, as are our social entrepreneurs. That is greatly enhanced by funding from the Leader programme in Europe. As the Commissioner knows, we are now coming to the end of that funding cycle. Because of that hiatus or lapse, projects that are just about to be approved will not be picked up again for funding until 2015. Can the Commissioner influence that? Innovation at community level does influence local economies, communities and big-picture issues eventually.