The next government must address our reliance on foreign investment

The need for small homegrown industries in this country is greater now than at any time in the past. We should aim to promote the establishment of small businesses in all towns and villages.

I have long disliked the policies that operated down the years with huge sums of money being allocated to foreigners who did not have any emotional stake in the country.

They came to reap the harvest of IDA grants but, having received the maximum amount, took the first plane back to Europe or to a low cost economy and forgot about the Irish people.

It is well known that many enterprising Irish people who approached the IDA for State aid were refused and those with an address at Dusseldorf, Paris or Amsterdam were facilitated in every way.

We must reverse that attitude and give our Irish entrepreneurs all the backing needed to get started and grow and compte.

We should concentrate on industries that derive raw materials from within the State.

Why is it that we import €80 million worth of chipped potatoes when we have the finest climate in the world to grow potatoes.

Many of our supermarkets sell frozen chips imported from Holland, Belgium and Canada.

Our fishing industry could employ ten times more workers if properly operated and if we fought for it on the European stage instead of opening it up to the supertrawlers from overseas.

We are only skimming the surface as far as the fishing industry is concerned. We must do more about smoking, marinating and canning. We are falling down in our commitment to the fishing industry.

The Dutch and Norwegians are cashing in on that valuable industry while we stand idly by.

So let us cast our nets and reap the rewards for the benefit of Ireland and its people.

Cllr. Noel Collins

“St. Judes”

Midleton

Co. Cork