Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister very much. I want to talk about SME productivity and growth for a moment. That is at the heart of the potential to increase wages and profitability. We are successful in Ireland at generating and attracting high-growth firms, in particular multinationals but domestic SMEs sometimes lag in terms of productivity. That issue is not related to the workers not working sufficiently hard. Some of it is due to the slow pace of digitisation. Some of it is due to outdated management practices, lack of improved infrastructure and the built working environment, which all contribute to either hindering or enhancing productivity. What are the Minister and the Department doing to boost innovation and productivity in the domestic economy so that the gap between the FDI and SME sectors can be closed? We want to see SMEs adopting international best practice in management skills, upskilling the workforce, and improving capital investment in the built work environment. Is there a specific strategy or focus on SMEs? Does the Minister believe one strategy will fit all?