The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, defended the decision to establish the new Enterprise Ireland agency, declaring there was no truth in any allegation that it was merely a moving of deck-chairs in response to changes in Ministerial portfolios.
The Bill to create the new agency structures would facilitate a totally new approach to indigenous industry policy, she said. It provided for the creation of the new agency through the dissolution of Forbairt and An Bord Tracht ala and the amalgamation of the relevant element of the service-to-business function of FAS.
Enterprise Ireland would have a new mission and a new approach to service delivery, Ms Harney said. In bringing together the key elements of Forbairt, Bord Trachtala and FAS it would have access to expertise across the range of business functions required by firms. Its mission was to help client companies develop sustainable competitive advantage leading to increasing profitable sales, exports and employment. Its client base would be comprised of manufacturing and international services companies which were genuinely Irish-based and whose growth and development could be enhanced through working with the agency.
However, Mr Shane Ross (Ind) said the measure amounted only to a strategy of deck-chair switching on the Titanic. It did not deal with the kind of radical reappraisal that was needed.
The Bill would make it a bit easier for business people to get grants. It would only increase the dependency culture that existed in this country, and that was a great pity.
He hoped the Minister would have a rethink on the matter.