John Whelan: A new enterprise policy for Ireland is long overdue

'We need to protect and support our non-EU foreign owned multinational sector, while at the same time increasing the flexibility to gain investment and support for the SME sector'

Ireland’s total export trade of goods and services reached €451bn in 2021. File picture: Brian Lawless

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has made what could be his most significant contribution to Ireland’s economic development with his recent announcement of new initiative to create a new enterprise policy for Ireland, opening the process for public consultation last week.

Enterprise policy has been overdue a review. The impact of Brexit on many of our trading partners, the pandemic, the US/China trade war, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have created an urgent need for an upgrade and perhaps a change of direction.