James O'Connor
Cork East · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We have proposed a number of routes that will address issues in respect of communities and villages that are yet to be connected to local towns.”
“I raise the issue of improving Local Link services in the east Cork constituency. I highlight specifically the need for better public transport. Thousands of people across the constituency are concerned about this problem.”
“I acknowledge the response. I am coming to this with a solution-focused approach. I have seen in Athlone in particular how successful a local town-based bus service can be in providing state-of-the-art public transport connectivity for people living in the housing estates and satellite urban areas near the town.”
“I am also looking at finally having an in-town service for the Midleton-Ballinacurra area, which would give people the option of leaving the car at home. The distances are just that bit too long to walk, if people are doing the shopping and other things as they go about their daily business.”
“Given the fact that stamp duty went from 4% to 9% in the period between 2005 and 2007, and collapsed by over 80% when the crash happened in Ireland, we look now at multinationals paying corporation tax accounting for over 30% of Exchequer revenue.”
“I acknowledge how successful Local Link has been in the areas it does service. We hear great reports about people delighted they are able to jump on a bus, go into their local town, do their shopping, spend money in their local community, support local businesses and get back home all within a respectable timeframe.”
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“Dairy farming, beef production and tillage would keep employment in the local area in veterinary, healthcare, farm relief, agricultural aggregate sales such as fertiliser and animal fields, machinery sales and all the professions that come with operating an operational farm involving livestock and tillage. I could go on because the list is as long as my arm. It creates huge employment and that is before we even get to processors, such as Dairygold or Tirlán, formerly Glanbia, the Kerry Group and Ornua, and the thousands of people employed by those processors, not only in my constituency but in other rural areas. If what is happening in east Cork is allowed to continue, it could lead to devastating consequences for the dairy industry. Nobody seems to be picking up on this. Farming needs to stand up for itself and so do the commentators.”
“This involves the complete transition of the land, which will not have any livestock on it. There was some discussion around using it for sheep but my understanding from the people I have engaged with is that this can cause some difficulty in relation to electrics, wires and maintenance. It involves, therefore, the complete removal of livestock and tillage from those lands and their use for solar. In the Cork East constituency this is happening on a scale that is extremely concerning. Given what is happening in my constituency, I feel that the return from the circular economy is incredibly poor.”
“This will involve the change of use of lands from dairy, including one of the largest dairy farms in the country, to solar. I am told by those with whom we have engaged in the community that substation infrastructure has been put in place to handle approximately 2,500 acres of solar in that area. I raise this because this development is not designed to accompany an existing industry or incorporate the residential or commercial power needs of a local area in a sustainable way. This is commercial electricity production that involves, in my view, the transitioning of land away from agriculture towards solar production and the removal of the agricultural facet of that land. In case people are unaware of how this works, companies will come in and take the land for leases in excess of two or three decades.”
“I express my gratitude that this topic has been selected for discussion. It is incredibly important. It relates to the rapid development of solar across my constituency and in Cork North-Central and Cork South-Central. This is about what I see as the wholesale changing of the function of agricultural lands in my constituency and their use as solar farms. We are starting to see what these solar farms look like, with the developments that have already taken place in Midleton, and how they change the landscape. I will run through a number of serious concerns I have in a few different areas. This evening, a public meeting will be held in the Killeagh and Inch parish on what will become one of the largest solar farms in the country.”
“Local people are not happy about the visual impact visually and the vast amounts of land being transitioned to solar energy. I would appreciate if the Taoiseach would comment on this issue.”
“I raise with the Taoiseach the issue of energy security ahead of the infrastructure meeting. I want to bring forward the idea that Ireland follow suit and join other countries in the EU which use nuclear technology as part of their energy production. Ireland has the highest non-residential electricity prices in the European Union as of 2024, according to Eurostat. Finland has the cheapest because between 35% and 40% of its energy comes from nuclear power. Should we not look at nuclear as a solution instead of focusing on solar, which, unfortunately is taking up huge amounts of good agricultural land in my constituency? To paraphrase the Taoiseach's words on the last day we discussed this issue in the Chamber, we talked then about the transition from the 40 shades of green in Cork East to 50 shades of grey.”
“Household electricity prices in the EU in 2024 were the highest in Ireland and the lowest in Finland. The reason for this is that Finland generates 35% of its energy from nuclear power. Ireland has a growing economy of more than 5.3 million people. Do we need another Ardnacrusha Shannon scheme moment a century on where we decide how we are going to power our economy? In my constituency of Cork East, thousands of acres of agricultural land, the finest in the country powering our world-leading dairy sector. are being swallowed up for solar farms. It is generating huge unhappiness. Do we need a more sustainable, carbon-neutral approach, in the area of nuclear energy to power our economy for another century like the Shannon scheme and Ardnacrusha did at the foundation of the State?”
“Deputies Cian O'Callaghan, Denise Mitchell, Tom Brabazon, Naoise Ó Muirí and Barry Heneghan - To discuss accommodating a new special school on the Belmayne Educate Together secondary school site. The matters raised by Deputies Jen Cummins, Mark Wall, Brian Stanley and Michael Cahill have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty - To discuss the need to ensure that The Wombles preschool can continue to operate from Scoil Mhuire National School, Airlie Heights, Lucan. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss new mechanisms for the creation of football academies with the FAI and the League of Ireland. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss safety concerns around the use of signage-only zebra crossings as permitted under Department of Transport guidelines, updated in February 2024. Deputy Marie Sherlock - To discuss the exclusion of mainstream classes in Holy Child preschool on Sean MacDermott Street, Dublin 1, from special educational needs support. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the staffing issues and the opening of a wing in the West Kerry Community Hospital. Deputy Brian Stanley - To discuss the advancement of a new fire station.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss the need for a multidenominational school for Dublin 8. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the lack of school places for children with additional needs in the north inner city. Deputy William Aird - To discuss development of a new courthouse in Portlaoise. Deputy Alan Kelly - To discuss the requirement for a new hackney licence to operate in rural Ireland. Deputy Dessie Ellis - To discuss the need for a permanent building for Gaelscoil Cholmcille, Coolock, Dublin 17. Deputy Mark Wall - To discuss the need to re-open the Allenwood day care centre in County Kildare. Deputy James Geoghegan - To discuss the extension of the red line Luas to Poolbeg.”
“I wish to ask the Taoiseach about coming tariffs and what they could do in particular to the whiskey industry in Ireland. I was with the Taoiseach in Washington DC this week. He did a difficult but good job representing the country. We are concerned about the impact coming tariffs could have on Irish Distillers. Could there be an investigation to see if bourbon could be excluded from EU tariffs to protect the Irish whiskey industry? We must recognise the role Midleton plays across the world with Irish Distillers. Some of our best known brands include Redbreast, Jameson and Midleton. The tariffs could have an impact on marketing our agrifood across the world.”
“The matters raised by Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Pádraig O'Sullivan and Mattie McGrath have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh - Chun soiléiriú a fháil ar chás Gaelcholáiste Bhaile Átha Cliath 2, 4, 6, 8. Deputy James Geoghegan - To discuss the extension of the Luas red line to Poolbeg. Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss the need for a task force for Clonmel town. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss delivery of a new bus service linking the Blanchardstown Centre and surrounding areas with Dublin Airport. Deputy Joanna Byrne - To discuss unsafe working conditions in the ambulance station in Drogheda. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí - To discuss the expansion of Irish-medium secondary school options in north Dublin. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the closure of the Rainbow community playgroup in Dublin Central. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss recent animal welfare and neglect concerns in Cork North-Central.”
“Deputy Marie Sherlock - To discuss the exclusion of mainstream classes in Holy Child preschool in Seán MacDermott Street, Dublin 1, from special educational needs support. Deputy Seamus Healy - To discuss an application by St. Mary's CBS primary school, Clonmel, County Tipperary, for an emergency works grant. Deputy Rory Hearne - To discuss the increase in the number of families and children in homeless hubs. Deputy Brian Stanley - To discuss the need for additional accommodation in St. Francis special school, Portlaoise. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty - To discuss the continued operation of the Wombles preschool from Scoil Mhuire national school, Airlie Heights, Lucan. Deputy Martin Daly - To discuss progress on the new 50-bed psychiatry unit for Roscommon University Hospital.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss to lack of school places and school building projects in Kildare. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss the difficulties in mental health services in the Louth-Meath area. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the introduction of a youth culture card. Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the need for extra mainstream primary school places in Dunshaughlin, County Meath. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for access to reliable broadband in Dublin Fingal West. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss overcrowding and capacity at University Hospital Limerick.”
“There was an exchange a few moments ago relating to Deputy Devine's contribution. To clarify that everything that was said was allowable under Standing Orders, I just asked for advice on foot of the Deputy's request to me as Chair.”
“I take the opportunity to recognise the delegation from the Danish Parliament who are joining us in the Gallery with Deputy Malcolm Byrne of Wexford. They are all very welcome. Ireland has had 62 years of a diplomatic relationship with Denmark - I checked. They are most welcome and I thank them for being here.”
“I raise the issue of the Castlemartyr and Killeagh bypass with the announcement of national roads funding imminent. My question is on the appointment of a design consultant. We are due to see funding allocated shortly for national road projects but the appointment of a design consultant is necessary for this project to advance. I would appreciate if the Taoiseach could comment on this to see if the Government will support this to happen and to allow the project to progress.”
“I have great faith in the capacity of the Minister, who is new to his Department, to iron out the backlogs, but could he give me some insight into whether he intends to tackle the red tape associated with getting capital projects built in the area of road transportation?”
“I thank the Minister and welcome his reply. I know from his time in the Department of housing that he has often faced down difficult challenges in respect of banging heads together to try to get results. It is not always achievable overnight; it takes years of hard work to make these things happen. One of the positive decisions taken, for which I fought in the programme for Government submission I made, was on the need for multi-annual road funding to give certainty to contractors involved in capital projects. We had an outrageous system where, every six months, the process changed in some format. There was an issue around funding, weather had an impact, and there were public spending code issues. There are five or six administrative barriers that stop capital projects from progressing.”
“This is a staggering statistic for a small, beautiful rural village. It goes to show how the lack of investment has had an effect. We have tailbacks and congestion stretching several kilometres in either direction morning and evening and this is having a huge impact on the quality of life. Does the Minister see why there is a need for the design consultant to be appointed urgently?”
“I thank the Minister. I welcome his words on this and, as he has mentioned, the fact he came with me to visit the east Cork area, particularly the town of Youghal. Economically, Youghal needs a serious lift. People there have lost all faith in the Government. I do not believe the majority of the community there would have any issue with me stating that. As a local TD who lives there and who was born and raised in the area, I understand why. The lack of industry, jobs and investment and recent decisions on the large-scale IPA centre have led to a confluence of events in respect of which people are crying out for Government investment. A turning point in this regard will be the upgrading of the N25 corridor between Midleton and Youghal. More cars go through the village of Castlemartyr than travel on the Limerick–Galway motorway.”
“I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I will ask about the very important issue of the upgrade of the N25 between Midleton and Youghal. This is one of the most dangerous sections of national road in the country. It has a long record of multiple, fatal and serious road traffic accidents causing lifelong injuries for those who have been sadly impacted. I have been very passionate about raising with the Government the matter of bypassing Castlemartyr and Killeagh villages. With funding due in the coming weeks, will the Minister fund the appointment of a design consultant, which has been promised, through TII funding?”
“I wish to raise the issue of special classes in east Cork area with the Tánaiste and the Government. We need to see further provision for huge backlogs, particularly in the Youghal area. Is this something the Government can commit to looking into, considering the deficit of these services in east Cork, which unfortunately is one of the worst performing regions in the country? I met parents in Pobalscoil na Tríonóide recently with Deputy Quaide of the Social Democrats, and their anxiety and frustrations in this regard are enormous. Can the Tánaiste look into this matter to see if we could get extra provision in this relevant area?”
“We need to remind it that having specific rules on Ireland as an island and penalising us for that is not welcome and we need to protect ourselves against that as well.”
“That is something we should be proud of and that we also need to protect. I have heard some discussion about animal welfare in the context of this discussion today. I do not really see the need to bring that up and to constantly be banging on about the negatives of agriculture. However, something we need to do more work on is telling farmers that we are proud of what they are doing and that we support them through proactive initiatives. The last point I want to make is a concern with the upcoming Presidency. Denmark is due to take it quite soon. I refer to the live export of animals. We joined the European Union common market for access to that market. I will conclude on this final point.”
“I do not want us to go down the road of what has happened in the UK in recent days where agriculture and food production has become so lacking in importance politically that they are putting the farming sector there in a very vulnerable position by changing inheritance tax laws. I want to make sure that we in Ireland are always cognisant of the fact that agrifood has an enormous impact in terms of what Ireland as a country, an economy and a society does for our international standards around the world. You can walk into any supermarket across North America, Germany, across all of Europe, Beijing, Japan and other regions of the world and you will see Kerrygold butter on their shelves. You will see Irish meat products on the shelves in countries that allow our exports.”
“Many farmers borrowed heavily to invest in expansion, purchasing, long-term leases of agricultural land, new milking parlours, new bulk tanks and all of the other supporting infrastructure that is required to expand dairy facilities. Many of them borrowed very significant parcels of money. This is something we need to be aware of. I want to highlight it with the Minister in the Dáil. Coming back to my figure of that average age of 58, we need to be concerned about that. Younger people are looking on at agriculture becoming an increasingly expensive industry for that transition between generations.”
“There have been impacts from the war in Ukraine, namely, the huge impact arising from the rapid increases in the cost of fertiliser because of sanctions and other things that had happened. We realised we had dependencies that had not really been discussed in relation to Belarus and fertiliser production. There were simple things like compressors, which are used in every single milking parlour, that were all manufactured in Belarus as well. There also was rapid fluctuation in milk prices. This was all in the context of the previous Government plan, introduced when the former Minister, Simon Coveney, was Minister for agriculture. This was around the 2020 programme, which called for the Department of agriculture to double the economic output of the sector.”
“The research on it is interesting in that the average age of Irish farmers now stands at the age of 58 and approximately one third of active farmers, 33%, are over the age of 65. It is something we need to worry about and we need to worry about it for a few reasons. In the Irish economy, approximately 7% of the workforce of our economy is directly employed in the agrifood sector. In terms of the indigenous economic activity that Ireland generates, according to the most recent estimates from the Minister's Department its contribution is worth approximately €19 billion. When we really depended on the agrifood sector was in the darkest hours of the economic crash between 2008 right through to 2014. When things were not looking too bright, we depended on the success of the agrifood sector. We have been through turbulent years.”
“I congratulate Deputy Boland on her maiden contribution. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the state of affairs on the agrifood sector in Ireland as somebody who lives on a dairy farm in east Cork. I grew up on one and am the son of a dairy farmer and my mother has worked for nearly four decades in the dairy industry. Agriculture has been the cornerstone of my upbringing and my life and it remains a very important characteristic of the economy of the constituency of Cork East. In my first contribution on agriculture in the Thirty-fourth Dáil, I wish to highlight an issue for the Minister that is similar to that faced by GPs and other sectors of the economy, namely, the age of the Irish farmer has advanced quite considerably.”
“If the Government is planning a change in use of this building, will it return it for tourism, give the hotel back to the people of Youghal, a tourist town, and restore about 70% of the tourist accommodation that has been stripped from the community by the Government?”
“I wish to ask the Taoiseach about yesterday’s top story in the Irish Examiner . Once again, it was news about the Redbarn Quality Hotel, where approximately 370 people going through the asylum seeker process have been based. This was done without consultation. As a local Government TD in the constituency, I only learned this was happening, and the number of people who have been placed in the hotel, from the report in the Irish Examiner . The community is wondering whether this is coming at the detriment of the 450 or so community members from Ukraine who are there under the BOTP system.”
“Too much of the discussion here is siloed into particular Government Departments and responsibility is being passed around. Earlier, after Leaders' Questions, I said that when everybody is responsible, nobody is, unfortunately. I would like to see that progressed. Above all else, there are very practical things we can do to improve road safety. My view on the RSA, having worked on it for the past few years, is that it is utterly defunct. It should be disbanded. I would much rather see that allocation, close to €100 million, go to An Garda Síochána and its roads policing unit and traffic corps and to reforming the system to get people who do not have a learner's permit or licence onto the roads in a safer, more practical manner. We should have them do their driving lessons before they can get behind the wheel of a car on a public road.”
“This is worthy of attention. It is not something we often discuss. There is another thing I would like to see happen over the current Dáil term. Deputy Carthy is here, and it is good to see Sinn Féin represented as the lead Opposition party. An all-party committee on the national development plan could be something for TDs who are interested in infrastructure. The Social Democrats, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin are represented here, along with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, my party, as are the Independents who have Deputy Mattie McGrath in the Chair. We should look at whether we could have an Oireachtas joint committee on the national development plan, a forum to discuss these capital projects in a way that is conducive to their development.”
“We had an opportunity in the area of infrastructure development to pull aside the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and tell it that it is responsible for holding up much of the development. We should improve on the efficiencies we have developed as regards capital infrastructure for the Government, particularly in the area of road transportation and road safety, which we are here to discuss. That has to be looked at further, perhaps with a task force within the Department of the Taoiseach to ask what we are doing wrong, how can we improve and why are we allowing projects to be delayed by five, ten or 15 years? I could refer to MetroLink or connecting Dublin Airport to our country's rail network. In Cork there are many examples such as the development of new public transport links in the city.”
“They will not go to Shannon Airport because of the extremely poor road infrastructure between the cities of Cork and Limerick. We have to try to address this. It is one of the most dangerous roads in the country without question, particularly the sections around Buttevant and Charleville. We have seen a lot of very serious and fatal accidents, unfortunately, on the Mallow Road as well. I would like us to see this project finally being moved ahead and put to bed. It is one of the key pieces of infrastructure that the State will develop. It would be wrong of me not to admit there are points in the new programme for Government that I might not be 100% happy with.”
“If they are able to plan for 12 months, 18 months, two years or three years, they can do these projects much faster, they are cheaper to do, it gives them the ability to retain crews they may have hired to work on specific road projects and, overall, it would improve delivery and value for the taxpayer, which have to be very important characteristics of the work that needs to be done for this Government. Looking at a few other items that have to be prioritised in the next few years, the development of the Cork-Limerick motorway has to progress. The current system results in many people in Cork choosing not to fly out of Cork Airport but to go to Dublin Airport, particularly for transatlantic flights and other reasons.”
“I ask that the new Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, carry out the commitment - it was one I sought and was included in the programme for Government - to put in place a multi-annual funding system between the Department of Transport, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and TII so we do not have this siege-of-Ennis-style approach to roads funding every year whereby we are in and out trying to figure out what is going on and it ends up in a big political row. The reason this would help is that it would give certainty to the contractors working on road projects.”
“It made no sense, and every year we were back here in the autumn screaming and shouting at one another on all sides of the House that this was not good enough and we needed to see funding for projects. I heard Deputy Eoghan Kenny refer to the Mallow relief road, and he was right to do so. It was the same for the Carrigtwohill project. I could list them. About 44 projects, I think, were caught up in funding uncertainty last year alone. This should not be allowed to occur.”
“Ultimately, it was the taxpayers who lost. The Department of Transport was devolving responsibility for national roads transportation to a State agency and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, giving TII the responsibility to come up with a list of projects that the State needed to advance and that were included in both the national development plan and within TII's individual plans. The TII was then going back to the Department of Transport every calendar year to say, "This is what needs to be done and this is what we feel needs to be prioritised, what is included in the national development plan." The Department of Transport then had the duty to fund what was in those projects but it was not obtaining enough money to implement the plans of its own agency.”
“The tradition in agriculture is that many people go in straightaway at the age of 16, not 17, to get their learner's permit to enable them to drive tractors. It would be a very welcome and wise move for the Government to look at having a system in place whereby people have to do their lessons prior to being able to operate and drive a vehicle on a public road. It is just common sense, to borrow one of the great phases that was used throughout the recent general election. I have found a few other things annoying. As a young person coming into the Dáil, you get a good insight into how the system works and how inefficient it can be sometimes. I was very passionate about needing to switch from the funding model we had whereby there was nearly a cat-and-mouse game every single year as regards roads funding.”
“We have seen this done in other countries, such as the Nordic countries, and regions of the world where it is included in secondary education. There is a great opportunity to teach people the rules of the road while they are young. Every Deputy's constituency has been affected by terrible and sad road accidents in which young people have lost their lives. The statistics are very clear. People, particularly pedestrians and cyclists, are being killed by vehicles. Young drivers who are inexperienced are also being killed. That is why this is important. When we take a step back and look at it holistically, somebody in Ireland can drive a car - with an accompanying driver with a full licence, in fairness - without ever having done a driving lesson. It makes no sense. I have an agricultural background. People know I live on a farm.”
“It handed responsibility over to private entities and companies for what could very easily be done through a mixture of our excellent local authorities in terms of the offerings they could provide in this area, which was previously done. There is also the area of driver testing and how we get people through the process of obtaining their full driving licence. I was a passionate believer before the recent general election and coming into it, and in writing the submission I wrote for the programme for Government, in reforming how we get a young person through the process of getting their licence. Secondary education is a huge opportunity for people to do their theory testing, whether in transition year or senior cycle. Leaving secondary education with a learner's permit is a very wise thing to do.”
“We saw in press releases from the Department in quarter 3 of last year that much consideration is being given to stripping many of the organisation's key functions from what it does, whether it is driver testing or relates to the responsibility for the enormous fiasco of NCT testing and the responsibility it had with the company Applus+ for handing out a ten-year contract. It is hugely concerning, particularly given the fact that the agency itself got €95 million in taxpayers' money in one calendar year. It should be abolished. It does not do anything, in my eyes, to proactively improve road safety. The areas it was given responsibility to manage went completely out of control.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue and congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, on his appointment. I had the privilege of serving for four years in the previous Dáil term as the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on transport, being a member of the Oireachtas committee on transport and getting an opportunity to see first-hand the operations and functions of that Department and the agencies that work under it. I take great pride in the work we did as a committee, and on the public accounts committee, as regards the Road Safety Authority. It is my view that the whole entity is defunct.”
“I want to ask the Tánaiste about housing data that came out in recent days. It is, to some degree, worrying. Twice in the State's history in the past 15 years, we had two comprehensive national plans - the national economic recovery plan in 2011 and the State's response to Covid - where everything came in under one roof to try to solve the issue. Is this something that could be looked at in the new programme for Government, under the guise of infrastructure or through the Department of the Taoiseach, to try to get responsibility in one area because we know in government that when it is the responsibility of everybody, it is the responsibility of nobody? Is this a way in which this could be fixed or improved upon?”
“I know what would have happened if the Government had attained its target in the context of the figure of 40,000 completions. That said, we need a whole-of-government response in the area of housing. I suggest that action similar to that taken during the pandemic and the economic recovery that occurred post the recession that obtained between 2008 and 2012 should also be taken in the context of the whole-of-government response to which I refer. The Government needs to look at the bigger picture regarding housing. It needs to get everyone under the one roof. The Departments of the Taoiseach and Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform need to ensure that a whole-of-government response to this issue is adopted.”
“I want us to harness the talent we have in order to try to improve upon our ability to create more organic start-ups, like Stripe and other companies, that have gone on to have massive global success. I want us to replicate what the French Government has done very successfully with its unicorn strategy. Some 28 unicorn companies have been created in France since the policy proposal was brought forward in 2017. I would like Ireland to replicate that. We must use the fact that we have all of these companies here and do something on a more organic basis as well. I hope to work on this during the lifetime of the Government. I will finish on housing. I am extremely concerned by discussion about missed targets in recent days.”
“We have seen the importance, particularly with the changes that are going to come about in the area of artificial intelligence, of keeping pace. Some of the legacy companies have been around for so long now - three and four decades - in the areas of social media, tech and e-commerce. Ireland has attracted some of the largest companies to set up bases here. We need to harness the fact that those companies are here. Some of the most skilled graduates in the world are coming out of our universities and colleges. We also need to harness the fact that we speak the English language, which is very important for trading with North America. People underestimate the impact that has for US investors looking to Ireland.”