Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second my colleague Senator Michael McDowell's proposal that we take all Stages of the Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill. Like him, I am prepared to work with the Leader and will listen to what he has to say in replying to the Order of Business.

Last week I spoke about the functions and role of the education and training boards. Through Senator Billy Lawless, I was introduced to some people in the United States, including venture capitalists who had a lot of money. Having an opportunity to meet people in the United States is just one of the benefits in having somebody like the Senator there. I draw attention to a marvellous project called the 1871 Entrepreneurial Technology Centre that is mirrored on a micro level by the PorterShed in Galway. The role of education and training boards was to include seed capital, funding and resources for small stand-alone start-up companies. Through the contacts I made through Senator Billy Lawless I have been emailed by a number of people from Chicago who are interested in coming here to look at small start-ups to see whether they can fund them.