Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In response to Senator Reilly, it is important to say we do not need to have a divisive conversation but we need to be honest. It is straightforward; it is an expenditure. The fact that if a company is paying 6.25% because of its research and development, if it was going to pay €500,000 to the State it will now pay €250,000. It is just a straight expenditure and it may well be worth it. I will not be painted as the enemy of research and innovation. I am very passionate about research and innovation, including public research and innovation, which is another area we need to look at. That is an area I have highlighted previously. We need research and innovation from both the private and public sectors but we also need to make sure that we are getting appropriate value and that it is working out.

The Senator described how we move from the large number of companies to the smaller number who are successful in an ever-decreasing pyramid. I am very aware of that, but the bit that we tend to leave out, unfortunately, is the bit about what happens next - the small number that are successful, whom we have rightly supported at various steps of the way. We must consider what then is the benefit to society and where is the wider benefit. It is not simply enough to say some companies will succeed and we expect there will be jobs. We are asking the Minister to track the process, to join the dots. That approach relates to both my amendments. There may have been a misunderstanding of amendment No. 9. I have indicated already I will withdraw it and reserve the right to resubmit a variant of it on Report Stage. However, the key concern is whether the Minister wants to get qualitative information as well as statistical information because otherwise I do not understand what information she will be getting that will allow her to evaluate the scheme. I am just asking for that. This is simply about information. There is a separate point at which I hope the information would be publicly available. Again, my amendment No. 10, which I will also withdraw and reserve the right to reintroduce or vary on Report Stage, is about a public report. That is one issue.