Neil McDonnell

Our SMEs are all poor at that.

they're not the sort of qualifications you get with letters after your name after three years in UCD or UCC.

These are... In-work training, a short course.

Some of them are actually delivered in universities, for example, through micro-credentials, but the micro-credentials budget has been reduced as well.

So it seems that the overwhelming priority here

At least that's what it seems like to employers is to reduce college fees and to spend the money that employers pay into the national fund to train their employees is been diverted into a slush fund for universities.

It's a good day for Europe, it's a good day for Irish exporters and it's a great day for Irish farmers.

They're now going to have tariff-free access to a market, an immediate market of 280 million people in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.

And if the manner in which the agreement with Canada, which is now...

In effect, for eight years or so, if that comes to pass with Mercosur, we'll see beef exports rise.

And also, you know, other producers, chocolate is going to go tariff free, cheese, baby formula.

There are huge opportunities here for Irish exporters.

And that's just on produce.

We're not even talking about services yet.

So this is a great day.

Yeah, I mean, unfortunately, you know, fear is the easiest commodity to sell.

It's much harder to relate to people about hope and upside.

But, you know, we have great opportunities here.

Ireland's prosperity since we joined the EC has been built on free trade and access to markets.

and ultimately Mercosur direct trade with the immediate five countries, but the seven associated countries are probably going to be on the way.