Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 Apr 2024

The 50th Anniversary of Guaranteed Irish: Discussion

An Cathaoirleach

I remind Members who are participating remotely that they need to do so from within the Leinster House complex only. Apologies have been received from Deputy Bruton.

Today, we will discuss the 50th anniversary of Guaranteed Irish. This year, the Guaranteed Irish symbol is celebrating 50 years of supporting businesses. The symbol is awarded to businesses based in Ireland that support sustainable jobs, contribute to local communities and are committed to the Irish provenance. Promoting and enabling sustainable enterprise is a key priority for the economy as it strives to evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by the green transition. The committee is therefore very pleased it has the opportunity to consider these matters further with the following representatives from Guaranteed Irish: Ms Bríd O'Connell, chief executive officer, Ms Sinéad Mitchell, head of marketing and PR, and Ms Clémence Jamet, head of operations and sustainability.

Before we start, as I always do, I will explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practices of the Houses as regards references witnesses may make to another person in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed by me to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction I may give.

The opening statements have been circulated to members. To commence our consideration of this matter, I invite Ms O'Connell to give her opening remarks on behalf of the organisation.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

I thank the committee for inviting us to present today. This year, Guaranteed Irish, the not-for-profit membership organisation, celebrates 50 years of supporting businesses in Ireland. Guaranteed Irish currently represents more than 2,000 members who employ more than 120,000 people across the Twenty-six Counties.

Established in 1974 as a national symbol of trust and provenance for business in Ireland, it is dedicated to sustaining jobs and communities. Almost three-quarters of consumers in Ireland recognise the symbol and nine out of ten members say it has financially benefited their businesses. The 2024 Guaranteed Irish report, which was conducted by Red C research, outlines the economic impact of the membership organisation with 80% agreeing that by buying from Guaranteed Irish businesses, they are promoting a sustainable economy. The report also highlighted the value of the symbol, with 81% stating that Guaranteed Irish stands out from other brands in its support for Irish jobs, community and the circular economy at large. Some 91% of consumers agree that by buying from Guaranteed Irish businesses they are supporting local jobs. The annual turnover among members is estimated at more than €15 billion and, globally, the figure is €52.27 billion.

The 50th anniversary presents an opportunity for us to celebrate the impact that Guaranteed Irish has had on existing business members and, of course, for us to attract new ones. Our members who are committed to Ireland and its workforce span indigenous businesses and locally based global leaders. They support more than 120,000 jobs throughout the country. Their continued commitment to supporting sustainable jobs, contributing to local communities and a commitment to Irish provenance allows us to grow our offering. We look forward to continuing this commitment into the future.

To mark the anniversary, Guaranteed Irish has launched, and continues to launch, several initiatives, including a national communications campaign that explains what Guaranteed Irish represents in a modern Ireland. There are national campaigns, such as the 50-50-50 competition, which offers the chance for one lucky business with 50 employees or more the chance to win a communications campaign worth more than €50,000, including national and regional radio, TV, print, digital and PR. The competition is open to current licensed members of Guaranteed Irish in 2024 and 2025. That allows for new people to join as well. I ask the members of the committee to please inform their constituents and local employers at home, because this is a rare and unique opportunity and a way of giving back to their community and constituents.

A commemorative stamp was released in February to mark the 50th anniversary and a specially commissioned book is also available, which tells the story of the impact of Guaranteed Irish across society and Ireland's economy from the year it launched. We have brought a copy of the book, which we would like to share and present to the Chair. The stamp that was launched by An Post has had cross-country reach and has been a huge help with another large, established organisation. Like us, An Post was once a State-funded organisation and is now commercially run. It has been hugely helpful.

This year is Guaranteed Irish's 50th anniversary, which gives us an opportunity to look back to ensure we learn from our history and secure a better future. In the book, we have told the story of Guaranteed Irish and its role before and during the first 50 years that Ireland became an EU member. It is a story of support, and the agility and adaptability of people who want to hold onto their Irishness and still be part of the European movement. As an island nation, we have always wanted the best of both worlds and to survive we have had to adapt that. That translates into the motto: "Support local, look global", which is precisely the role of Guaranteed Irish. We need both. I cannot think of any other not-for-profit brand that has lasted the test of time over the past 50 years. Few such brands, even those that are international, enjoy such longevity and adaptability. We need to make more use of this because it is under-utilised in this country. We call on the Government and its Members to support us in that.

We would love to see Oireachtas Members making more use of this marketing tool to create more opportunities with us in Guaranteed Irish for the economy and the reputation of Ireland. As members will all know from their own businesses, companies go out and spend a fortune on brand development, brand messaging and communicating. Nobody knows about those costs more than politicians do. It is difficult to build and create a sense of purpose but Guaranteed Irish does this in spades.

Here we have a national brand that has achieved all of these things over the last 50 years and we are offering the opportunity to share this with the committee today. The Guaranteed Irish symbol is one recognised by 75% of the current multicultural population, which is no small achievement. It is seen as the national symbol of trust, as an international seal of approval and it has an overflowing sense of purpose that connects with sustainability, business and the community. It really does beg the question of why we are not using it more.

Did the committee know that nine out of ten of our members have told us this year, through independent research, that the Guaranteed Irish symbol helps them to drive sales and positively impacts their bottom line? Others have said it helps them attract quality talent. It is multipurpose. People are looking for it and our campaigns are all about looking out for the Guaranteed Irish symbol. We are asking the committee to help people to find it by helping us to use it everywhere.

As it is the 50th anniversary, it is very important that I pay tribute to all who have gone before in their commitment to Guaranteed Irish, from politicians to business owners to stakeholders. Looking back, what a half-century it has been as a nation. Have we not come a long way? A special acknowledgement goes to the design team who 50 years ago conceptualised the small but powerful symbol with the I inside the G. This was brilliant in many ways and is now of iconic status. It just happens to capture all that is good about Ireland, unlike any other brand, and that is why it has prevailed. In 1973, when Ireland joined the EEC, Guaranteed Irish helped companies move from an island economy to a European economy, focusing on quality and marketing. Only those who adapted survived.

With change comes opportunity, and for those businesses that were brave and agile enough, rewards came in the shape of exports. In 1974, Guaranteed Irish as we know it now was born as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Its mission was to support local and, in so doing, to create much-needed employment. As multinationals started to invest in Ireland, dot.coms emerged and we became entrepreneurs. We were now a trusted and a safe place to invest and work in following the Good Friday Agreement.

Throughout this time, Guaranteed Irish, while diminished, was steady and trusted in a world of distrust. A long-term trusted companion is a tool that should never be underestimated in any society but it certainly needed revitalising. In 2016, Guaranteed Irish modernised its role and relaunched itself as a national symbol of trust to support all businesses based in Ireland, homegrown and international, that support jobs, community and provenance in a sustainable manner. It was no longer protectionist. Application for the licence was open to all. In 2020, hit by a global pandemic, we were all forced to re-evaluate. Guaranteed Irish came into its own, advocating for businesses to support local while still looking globally. We were living the brand, we were at our best and we were "All Together Better", as our strapline says.

Here we are now in 2024. I do not have to tell the committee that this is the election year of our lifetime. Globally, 49% of the people will be voting in national elections, the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come. The burden is heavy and as we have a responsibility to try to get things right, how can Guaranteed Ireland help? Guaranteed Irish has always thrived in times of change. It has always been a positive brand for Ireland. In a world of unrest, distrust and uncertainty, a brand like Guaranteed Irish creates a stable and trusting business environment and a solution to some of our sustainability targets. This is particularly the case in respect of education concerning "sustainability", a well-meaning word but one that is misunderstood more often than not. It is important that we play a role in educating our members in this space. I ask the committee to think about this perspective. When you support a local business, you are not just securing those jobs, you are also helping to create greater attention around the area of building trust equity into the supply chain. There is a value in that.

We learnt a lot during Covid. It is good to know where our products are coming from and good to trust where they are coming from and good to trust that those supplying us are doing good things for their people and our planet. Guaranteed Irish already has a leading role to play. We would like to make this bigger and we are ready and willing to play this enlarged role. We have worked hard to arrive at this stage. I pay a special tribute to the current board of directors and the appraisals team for their time, commitment and vision. They are all volunteers and give us great time, insights and experience, from which we really benefit. As volunteers, they give their precious time pro bono to the organisation. Their commitment, experience and advice are invaluable to me, our team and the direction of the organisation. These are exceptional people.

Like our members and directors, I invite the committee members to participate in this endeavour and support Guaranteed Irish and its member businesses across Ireland as we embark on our biggest journey together to sustain life, enterprise and economies in our local Irish communities together in harmony. I thank the committee.

An Cathaoirleach

I will now invite members to contribute. I remind them of the rota system we have in place. I call Deputy O'Reilly.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank all the witnesses for being here with us. I am looking at the Guaranteed Irish symbol here and it is a very recognisable one. I thank the organisation for the work it does. It is very important. There are very few, and increasingly fewer and fewer, symbols that we can put our hand on and know it is a good one when we see it. Fair play to Guaranteed Irish because it has managed to weather the impact of social media and every other kind of storm.

I wish to talk a bit about the benefits of buying guaranteed Irish products in terms of sustainability. Personally, I think this is really important and I was pleased to see it mentioned in the opening remarks. To quote one line of the written statement submitted to the committee, "If you support a local business, you are not just securing those jobs, you are also reducing carbon miles and building trust equity into your supply chain". More and more, from my perspective and from what I am hearing, this is becoming the deciding factor. I ask Ms O'Connell to elaborate on this point a little more in terms of the capacity of Guaranteed Irish companies to help us in terms of sustainability. This is what people want. This is not to discount the fact that people want value or to ignore that we are in a cost-of-living crisis. While many people would love to be able to always and only ethically purchase, sometimes people cannot. At the end of the day, people need to feed their families. They have to buy what they need. In terms of sustainability, though, there is a huge job of work to be done. I am interested to know what role Guaranteed Irish and Guaranteed Irish companies can play in this regard.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

I thank the Deputy. To be clear, when we talk about sustainability and ESG, Guaranteed Irish is really about the S and the G. It is about sustaining jobs, communities and provenance. Governance, of course, is really important for that. We work with our members in respect of education in the context of embarking on a sustainability journey, first and foremost, and then creating the awareness of how important this is with the other members.

I mentioned the 50:50 campaign. For the celebration of our 50th year, we are putting together a pot of €50,000 for a communications campaign for businesses that employ 50 or more people. One of the criteria in this competition is to look at trying to use other Guaranteed Irish members and sustain those other businesses. This is much of the role of the sustainability function. I have invited my colleague, Cleménce Jamet, to join us today. She is the head of sustainability in the organisation.

We are not environmentalists. We are very clear on what we are not. We are not taking this role and we are not purporting to be doing so. However, what we really would demand in our criteria is that businesses that wish to apply for the licence would show they are on a sustainable journey and open to improving all the time. Sustainability is going to be the buzzword for all the rest of our business lives. It will impact everybody in this room and the generation behind us, if the world survives that long. The journey is critical and it is important that we educate businesses in this space.

I will refer to our job across several areas. Ms Jamet can also come in on these aspects too. Some of the initiatives we have already started have been helpful to the members, while also highlighting to them how seriously we take this role. During Covid, we also looked at the lack of ethics for some of the sources where our products came from. We had to really question ourselves if we wanted to be overdependent on nations that do not, necessarily, look after their people and our planet. These locations are not sustaining jobs and enterprises as we see it. Our role in sustainability, therefore, is about education in the first instance. It is also about ensuring that our members sustain enterprises in our local communities throughout Ireland. Those communities can be the community of Ireland or small little towns and villages across the country.

That is important for us, as well as the educational piece. Ms Jamet will give an example of some of those initiatives we have already started.

Ms Clémence Jamet

We have a few educational opportunities with our members. There is a sustainability guide that is trying to give our members an indication of how to avail of some of the grants available to help with their sustainability initiatives. We are going to have some e-learning sessions with members. The themes will be around ethical supply chains and circularity. The idea is that we cannot control what they do as they are independent of us but we want to raise awareness and ambition among our membership.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

Following on from that, I have a number of questions that are on the same theme. Guaranteed Irish products have the symbol. Does that mean that the products are made here in Ireland? In terms of sustainability, I would be interested to know how the symbol is awarded where the products are not made in Ireland but imported and what exactly that means. In regard to sustainability, I fully appreciate the educational role which is obviously important. We are all at that stage of trying to educate ourselves and technology may be moving faster than we, or certainly someone with my capacity, can keep up with. Sustainability is important. The symbol may lead people to believe that what they are buying is made here. That would tick a box for sustainability for me, if I were buying a pair of shoes. If I see, not just this symbol but any symbol that gives me the impression that it was made locally, I would decide to buy that when it may be the same price as another pair of shoes that I know for a fact were made in Hong Kong or anywhere else. I wonder in that context, is the role of Guaranteed Irish related to corporate responsibility, ethical trading and education or is there an emphasis on trying to do more here on this island?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

I thank the Deputy. I am delighted she brought up that question for clarification. Guaranteed Irish does not mean that the product is made in Ireland. The product can be made in Ireland but it is not exclusive to being 100% made in Ireland. If we think about any product out there, for example, in food products or even manufacturing, there is always a widget that needs to be brought in from somewhere to complete the process, or sugar for conservation of food in a jar, tin or package. The reality is we no longer grow beet here. We do not have a sugar factory. There is always an element or a spice that is brought in to make the product whole. The criteria for Guaranteed Irish membership goes through a dedicated appraisals team because due diligence is key. This is all quite new since 2016 or 2017. There is a board of directors and a separate appraisals board. The appraisals board assesses the application based on jobs at the company, whether it is supporting quality, sustainable, good jobs, and whether it supports its community and gives back to it in some way that is not necessarily just benefiting the company from a profit point of view, but is doing the right thing. It is looking over your shoulder, giving back and helping the next guy and your community to thrive, the community being Ireland or any part of that. The third piece relates to provenance. At least 50% added value has to be made to the product or service. In the case of services, which may being accountants, solicitors or different IP pieces of business, it is obviously 100% because it is intel. However, in terms of products and manufacturing, food or pharmaceuticals, which are a great example, where the products are partly made here, we assess them on the 50% or more. That is very important because that is the added value piece, added here in Ireland. That added value insists on a certain level of expertise in our field which adds to Ireland's reputation and to all the layers of goodwill on which we are trading throughout the world. So many doors have opened to doing business with Ireland over the generations, from past - better - people than me, promoting Ireland. Provenance is about the 50% or more added value.

In regard to the made in Ireland piece, it is quite a difficult piece and needs clarity around it. Many products are made in Ireland but how much of the product that is made in Ireland is Irish? People need to question that piece. There is a good deal of confusion in the marketplace. Guaranteed Irish is absolutely clear on our boxes. The business gets the licence, not the product. It is not the pen that I make here in Ireland that gets the licence. The company that makes the pen gets the licence. That is based on its behaviours, its support of good quality jobs, commitment to communities and a provenance of 50% or more added here. That allows the expertise, PR and the reputation of the country for doing business with. It is important to clarify that. That also feeds back into the sustainability side. There is a whole ethics piece there on the appraisals piece in terms of doing the right thing by Ireland and our people. It is also very important that as a new Ireland is emerging all the time, our population focus has totally changed since I was growing up, which is wonderful to see and inclusive. They bring much more wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. It is great to see the fusion of the multicultural and the multinational with the homegrown and the Irish. There is a really nice fusion and we have a real opportunity to score points there globally in terms of inward investment. We strive to do that. That is why we were thrilled to get the invitation here today to inform our colleagues in government about this brilliant brand that has stood the test of time, more than most, either homegrown or international. It has work to do. We are willing and able. We are saying to our Government colleagues let us use this brand a lot more because it has real value to it, once the component parts are understood.

The point the Deputy highlighted is actually the stumbling block. People sometimes do not understand that. My colleague Ms Mitchell will say a bit about the marketing campaign we launched this year as a platform of the 50th celebration. The campaign can be heard on radio and television adverts, particularly radio and digital, where we are saying what is the guarantee of Guaranteed Irish and we are explaining to people that it is about jobs, communities and provenance, about giving back and doing the right thing, and that has a value. That has gone out-----

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I believe people want to do the right thing. I am a wee conscious of time. I have only two minutes left and there is a question I want to put.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

My apologies.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

No, that is fine. Ms O'Connell is very welcome here. I might get in on the second round. There is a question I want to ask in regard to growing exports. Anyone who sits on this committee will know I am passionate about this. I try to bring it up at every opportunity. We have a very low level of export among our domestic companies. Growing this is a priority for the Government indeed. It is a priority right across the board. Will Ms O'Connell tell me, how many of the brand's members export? What can be done to support them and others to begin that exporting journey? We have not quite cracked that nut yet. We are doing well in some areas but the levels are low. In terms of the brand, what can be done to encourage more exporting?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Around 60% of our members export. The total value the 2,000 to 2,300 businesses with us currently that employ 150,000 people contribute more than €15 billion to the Irish economy. They collectively contribute more than €50 billion to the global economy, so they are certainly exporting. We have members, as I mentioned, from home-grown businesses such as Kingspan to big pharmaceuticals that operate with 50% or more added value here. Our export numbers are very high. We have noticed very recently that members are actually using the Guaranteed Irish symbol to export. Therefore, now the Guaranteed Irish symbol is beginning to travel and we want help from our Government colleagues in that area because we have the infrastructure built, our groundwork and research done, and we know it has a value.

As we know, Irish businesses push an open door overseas, for the most part thanks to all the work done by the Department of Foreign Affairs. etc. The reality is this is another tool in the arsenal to help to get those introductions. Our next role after such events as this is to speak to our colleagues in the diplomatic field to try to see what we can do with our Guaranteed Irish members. We are open and eager to push that.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the witnesses. I hope I will get in again.

An Cathaoirleach

I call Deputies David Stanton and Matt Shanahan, who both have seven minutes.

Deputy David Stanton

Happy birthday. I welcome the witnesses. They do not look that old.

I thought the presentation was excellent and Deputy O'Reilly's questions covered many of the questions I was going to ask, especially the point on what is made in Ireland what is not made in Ireland and so on. That is a bit confusing.

Ms O'Connell finished up by saying that she wanted the State to assist further in the work Guaranteed Irish does, especially on the exporting side. I ask her to focus on that and give us some practical examples of how she thinks the State, Government and the Oireachtas can assist.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

One way the State could help and which would be a very easy win for us would be to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the ambassadors across the various markets that our member businesses are already exporting to, where they either want to win new business or deepen the relationships they have with existing buyers overseas. That would be a great help. There are businesses going on various different trade missions but they are not going under the Guaranteed Irish umbrella yet. We would like to be invited to take part in those trade missions. That would be a great offering for this community, at a political level, to go back through Guaranteed Irish to our members. That would be seen as very positive and helpful. Businesses can go through various other agencies but Guaranteed Irish members are not always with those agencies. Ours might be the only agency to which they are attached. That would be an immediate win for us.

In terms of other national and international opportunities, we would like to be on the invitation list. We are not on it at the moment. We are a very poor not-for-profit organisation but we are a very professional outfit. We have 14 very professional people working in the organisation and a stellar voluntary board of directors from the highest echelons of business in Ireland. All of our directors do business both at home and abroad and have that qualification. I see it as a missed opportunity for our members and it is a nice piece that could be sewn up very quickly.

Deputy David Stanton

Maybe that is something that this committee, with a remit covering enterprise, trade and employment, could support by writing to the Minister and the various relevant agencies. Does Guaranteed Irish cover Northern Ireland as well?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

No, the 26-Counties is seen as a separate economy. That is something we inherited. Some businesses in the North of Ireland have asked to join the organisation but that would be a very complicated piece of work. Sterling undervalues our euro counterparts down here so that is a big piece of work that would take quite a bit to unravel.

Deputy David Stanton

Are there similar organisations in other jurisdictions in Europe?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Yes, there are. Quite a lot of research was done at the beginning. I spoke to Deputy Shanahan about this a while ago. Several other EU member states have the equivalent of Guaranteed Irish. Examples include Made in France and Made in Italy. There are also equivalents in the UK, Scotland and Wales. Almost all countries have something similar and they have continued to trade. At one stage Guaranteed Irish was seen as protectionist but we have changed that completely in the last eight years. That was never the view of the other member states, which is amazing. We were very straight-laced in how we operated here, probably to the cost of Guaranteed Irish. We have reconfigured, restructured and repositioned, with a focus on supporting local but looking global and are very proud to be European, while pushing our own businesses out there. Our businesses are based in Ireland but they can be from anywhere, of course. That has been to the benefit of Guaranteed Irish and has renewed interest. There is no question but that Covid played right into our hands. While it was an awful pandemic for the whole world, the reality was that people really took stock and looked at where products and businesses were coming from and tried to support those a little bit closer to home. That helped our growth hugely. It was also true that we were ready. We had an amazing new brand and team, an amazing structure and good governance.

Deputy David Stanton

I notice that Guaranteed Irish is not just involved in the sale of products. It held a technology forum yesterday.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Yes, that is right.

Deputy David Stanton

It also has other events coming up, including a professionals services forum, a food and drink forum and a construction forum. The latter is taking place in September. It is not just the product on the shelf with the G sign on it; Guaranteed Irish is broader than that. I ask Ms O'Connell to expand on that a little. Is that new? Is that something that has been developed more recently? There seems to be massive potential here with a forum on professional services. How was the technology forum yesterday? The forum on construction is of particular interest because construction is central to all of our interests and concerns at the moment.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Guaranteed Irish is a very broad church with a wide range of members. Each month we have a different theme and each theme represents a different sector or industry. We cover farming, technology, construction, food and drink, tourism and everything in between. We celebrate each one individually in a particular month with networking opportunities. Guaranteed Irish has effectively become a PR and marketing agency for our business members. We create PR and marketing opportunities, which my colleague, Ms Mitchell, will elaborate on. We also host a lot of events for networking. Businesses buy from businesses who are like-minded and people buy from people who are like-minded and who share the same values. We have a core selection of values and beliefs. Our biggest belief, which our members share, is that we have the ability to effect positive change. If we can do that and if our core values are adhered to by our member businesses, that puts us all on the same journey. This might sound very utopian but it is something that we believe in. We are in a position to make that work, insofar as is commercial for any business. Events are a big part of our business and are about creating networking opportunities for businesses to enable them to win more business.

Deputy David Stanton

I want to congratulate Guaranteed Irish on its website. It is very professional looking and attractive. Ms O'Connell begged the question in her presentation as to why we are not using the brand more. What is her own answer to that question?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

I would love to see the Government of Ireland turning to Guaranteed Irish and using its licences to promote businesses and to promote Ireland. I would be very interested in entering into a conversation with the Deputy on opportunities for our members when they tender for work. It would be nice to see Guaranteed Irish businesses, which give back so much to their own communities, being weighted or considered differently. It would be good if there were some points for that. There is an opportunity to consider things like that. Guaranteed Irish businesses are not just Irish businesses. They are businesses based in Ireland. They pay their taxes here, have a physical presence here and they give back. They are not just any business; they are special businesses and that needs to be acknowledged.

Deputy David Stanton

I might come back in again later.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

I thank Ms Mitchell, Ms Jamet and Ms O'Connell for being here. I had some engagement with Guaranteed Irish a number of years ago about pushing the agenda that Ms O'Connell is describing now, which is very important. In terms of the submission, I recognise the high water mark reached by the organisation with its 2,000 members, involving approximately 120,000 people. I also acknowledge the work the organisation has done to create brand recognition and to support local while looking global. I was taken by the fact that 75% of the current multicultural population sees the symbol as offering trust and an international seal of approval. The concept of supporting local while looking global was what we were engaged on, in terms of trying to move that out. The brand has developed well over time. It would have been recognised 20 years ago as representing a seal of approval for the food sector, which was largely where it was focused but now it has morphed into giving credibility to all sorts of companies.

What are the top three things that Guaranteed Irish wants to achieve with this meeting today?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

We want to be recognised and invited to various State events, particularly overseas trade missions. It would be really important that we would have a voice there on behalf of our members. In an ideal world it would be great if there was an additional weighting for a Guaranteed Irish licensed business when it comes to tenders, and public tenders in particular.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

Could Ms O'Connell elaborate on that please?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Businesses are there to make a profit but a lot of them do not give back to the community and are not as good to their employees. Many are not as invested in Ireland's reputation as Guaranteed Irish businesses. There is an opportunity to reward those businesses that see the bigger picture and that think more strategically on behalf of Ireland Inc. - I hate to use that phrase. They look at the bigger picture and at how to allow Ireland to thrive in that space. They also look at our citizens, wherever they are from. They are based here and Ireland is now their home and there is an opportunity for them to be weighted a little bit more favourably in public tenders. That is a complicated piece of work. We are aware of that and we are not advocating for protectionism.

I want to be very clear about that.

The third request is to have a value and a really broad and thorough understanding at Government level as to what Guaranteed Irish now stands for, as opposed to it being a symbol that people saw on food or manufactured goods. It is not that. In fact, the history book that my colleagues have here for members highlights that it was never that but that it was an easy thing for people to latch on to, and it took on a story of its own. The story really is that it was always a broad church. We have just pronounced and amplified that message in modern thinking.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

When Ms O'Connell and I engaged, we both came up against the hard block that Guaranteed Irish is possibly perceived as a highly sectoral organisation for sectoral interests. If the broad church Ms O'Connell is speaking to now is not recognised in Government, I think that is a failure on the Government's side. As she rightly pointed out, the recognition of Guaranteed Irish is going to become far more important.

Something Ms O'Connell may have seen in the papers recently was the rise in own-brand versus branded products. Where does own-brand sit now with regard to Guaranteed Irish?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

It is not an area in which we have involved ourselves. That is really a supermarket war, if you like, and it is for the supermarkets to engage in those fights. There is an opportunity for branded goods to really benefit from co-branding with the likes of Guaranteed Irish, and we would be delighted to help them with that. There is a definite desire on the part of the consumer to know the provenance of goods and where they have come from. Consumer are very intelligent citizens and they accept that not all elements in their jar, tin, package or homegrown produce are going to be Irish. They have accepted that but what they want to know is how much of it is Irish. It is the traceability piece as well. That is really important for consumers but so is the broader context of the manufacture or production of that product, what it has done on its journey and the sustainability piece, and what it has done to our planet to get here. They are really interested in that.

As I said, we are not planet savers or environmentalists but we do ask our members to be cognisant of what we are doing. Beyond that journey, the educational piece is important. It is as important to know what we do not do as it is to know what we actually do.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

I think the sustainability piece will become the major differentiator as we go forward, not alone on climate but the provenance and organic nature, or otherwise, of what is coming in in the food space but also civil rights, for want of a better phrase, in the context of production.

I do not know if Ms O'Connell saw - it has been out on the Internet for a while - the Ricky Gervais post about Hollywood. He highlighted that a company there, which has sustainability values and has been given awards, is running sweatshops in Pakistan.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Yes.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

This is an issue that we in Ireland can probably speak to very well, particularly in the food sector. I do not think we are doing enough to support the idea of provenance. As Ms O'Connell rightly pointed out, the inputs of a lot of products made here are not made in Ireland or do not come from here. How would Guaranteed Irish provide licence for that input, particularly when it is coming through a number of jurisdictions or coming from the other side of the world? That is a hard thing to do. Certainly, there is a lot we can do, including the fact that Guaranteed Irish is being extended across services as well as manufacturing. However, that is a hard message to thread through to the consumer. On the one hand, they are looking at a product marked Guaranteed Irish, and then elsewhere they see a services company with the Guaranteed Irish brand. It is a little bit difficult. The committee would like to help with that. On the recognition for Guaranteed Irish members, they should, of course, be part of delegations. That is my opinion. I do not make the rules but we will try to help with that.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

I thank the Deputy. It is complicated. We are not for a moment saying otherwise. We have put ourselves into four boxes, namely, jobs, communities, provenance, and sustainability education. We really know our remit, which makes us really strong.

While we have managed to grow interest and awareness again, apart from big things like the global pandemic, the reality is that due to our "new Irish" - if you want to call our growing population that, and I do not really like that phrase - we are now a very multicultural country. They have brought their knowledge, awareness and education from their countries, and their expectations in a lot of cases are much higher. As a result, we are learning from them. It is no longer any good to say that a symbol means all things to all people. It has to be versatile and adaptable so that it means certain things to certain people but it still has its core principles. That is what Guaranteed Irish has, and I think we are very clear on that.

With regard to the Deputy's point about the different parts, the provenance, the 50% added value and the due diligence are very important to us, which is why we introduced an appraisals board. We oversee that. We are dependent on the member being honest in their application. We obviously do not have the resources to go out and police everybody. However, what you will find in good old Ireland is that a competitor will not be long telling you if they are not behaving. That is wonderful for us. It is our police and army on the ground. Those queries are very rare, to be fair.

We are a serious business. We take our role very seriously and we are committed to doing the right thing. We have an amazing team which delivers on that, and our standards are extremely high. We have positioned ourselves as being not interested in people who are trying to dupe the consumer. That is not going to wash and such people will lose. There is the possibility that they will lose the licence. At any stage, if there is misbehaviour, a licence can be withdrawn, which is really important.

An Cathaoirleach

We will have a second round of questions now. Deputy O'Reilly can begin.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank the Chair. I have hay fever, so I apologise for all the sneezing. I want to give Ms O'Connell's colleague, Ms Mitchell, a chance to talk about the marketing campaign because I have mentioned it a few times. I have a bit of time but I have a question as well.

I appreciate that this is not going to be 100% within Guaranteed Irish's remit but, with the indulgence of the Chair, I will raise the use of the .ie domain name because it is a bit of a hobby-horse of mine. I know that Guaranteed Irish does not control that, and I am not suggesting it does but it might be able to lobby about it. It is something that drives me wild. A lot of people go to .ie domains. During Covid, people here could not get kids' shoes and had to buy them online. Members of my family bought a pair of kids' shoes from a .ie domain name believing they had come from Ireland, but they were then hit with a customs charge because they came from Britain. They were left scratching their heads about how they came from Britain when they bought from a .ie domain name. The Guaranteed Irish website is its representative in every country. What is its perspective on that issue, particularly with regard to exporting and looking outwards around the world? Would it be worthwhile to protect the .ie domain name? Should more be done in that regard or does it not matter? Should people do a bit of homework themselves to find this information? The person I know felt that they did do their homework by researching and finding a shoe shop with, as they thought, a .ie domain name. They decided it ticked the box and they were getting goods that did not travel far. They did so specifically in the interest of sustainability, carbon miles and all of that kind of stuff. We were all busy doing other things during Covid and this person was very frustrated and annoyed that, having gone to so much trouble, when they had to return the shoes, they had to be sent to an address in England. I would welcome the witnesses' thoughts on that. Ms Mitchell can then have the rest of my time to talk about the campaign. It would be good for us to hear what the aims are and so on.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

For clarity, I am not speaking on behalf of the .ie domain provider. We have a .ie domain name. Legislation has changed in the sense that being connected to Ireland is now integral to having a .ie domain name. This came up at our tech conference yesterday. There is an onus on all of us, when we are making a purchase, to do our research. It is very complicated out there and there are so many layers. There is no question about that. However, as with Guaranteed Irish, .ie does not mean exclusively made in Ireland, shall we say. However, it has to be connected to Ireland. That is really all I can say on the issue because it would be wrong for me to speak on the provider's behalf. It is a case of buyer beware.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

The floor is Ms Mitchell's to talk a bit about the campaign. We are very interested in it.

Ms Sinead Mitchell

I thank the Deputy and all the members for having us here this morning. We launched the guarantee of Guaranteed Irish campaign on 1 March of this year, and March is Guaranteed Irish month. This year, we were obviously celebrating a bigger birthday than that, so we had lots to talk about.

With the guarantee of Guaranteed Irish campaign, we did not just want to focus on made in Ireland, as we have discussed already, but the pillars of Guaranteed Irish, what we support and what we offer in the national symbol of trust. We focused the campaign on jobs, community and provenance. We had a nice video that went out on programmatic online, which had some lovely statistics and a voice-over explaining how our members give back to the community and all about the jobs they support. We also did a radio ad which was played on national radio stations and regionally. Some of our members got behind that. We made a Guaranteed Irish version of the ad and some of our members joined us within the advertisements. We had assets made that we were able to use on social media. Again, those focused on jobs or community and provenance. It is about trying to create awareness and an education for the citizens of Ireland on what we are about and what we are trying to do. That is ongoing throughout this year. We had a big burst in March and we will continue throughout the year. We also had the Guaranteed Irish magazine that we launched with The Irish Times. We have a few of them to hand here. It explains the varied members we have. It is a very interesting read. It shows that it is not just about food but all the different sectors. That is where the events are brought in behind that. The ecosystem is extremely important so that our members can all network and find suppliers within their niche and community. We allow them events and opportunities to meet each other. That is the guarantee of Guaranteed Irish. Hopefully the Deputy will hear a bit more about that.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

Yes. I am looking forward to it. I have a minute left. This is probably a question for Ms Jamet but it can be directed as appropriate. The ongoing training being done was mentioned. How is it funded? Does Guaranteed Irish have access to the training fund? I have an idea what the answer will be but it is an opportunity to put it on the record.

Ms Clémence Jamet

It is funded entirely by us. If there is any opportunity for funding, we would love to hear from it.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

There is the chance. I think there is a few bob in the National Training Fund.

Deputy David Stanton

There is.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

There is definitely a few bob in the National Training Fund and it is remaining unspent.

Ms Clémence Jamet

Okay.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

Is it €2 billion?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

If I could jump in on this one, never wanting to miss an opportunity and noting there are 36 seconds left in this round. We want that money. If there is something the committee can take away from today, there is an opportunity to invest in our membership and their training, so why not use it? These are the guys who are the backbone of our community. Of the 2,300 businesses we currently have licensed as Guaranteed Irish, 70% employ 20 or fewer employees. It is really important that we support that backbone of Irish industry. Those are the guys who swing their legs out of the bed in the morning and have to face into whether they can pay the wages and rates - the committee knows this; its members are on the front door of it – so it is really important that we try to support them any way we can. We do a lot of PR, marketing and events. It is all membership money. We do not get one cent from the Government and nor have we really asked for it. But if there is money there that can help our members we would love to be the route to get it to them. As a not-for-profit, our job is to make sure they get it all and it is not all caught up in administration, other than our time to get it through. They are a professional team and as it is important that the professional team is paid properly, we run a tight and good ship.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

It has been said before but the local businesses are the ones that are sponsoring your GAA club and local football team. I will not mention anyone because I will get myself in trouble but our visitors all know who does not sponsor the local GAA team. It will leave it at that. I thank everyone for the information they have given us and for their time this morning.

An Cathaoirleach

A few issues have been raised here by Guaranteed Irish which we will discuss privately. I think they will have full support from the people who sit around this table on some of the questions.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Thank you.

Deputy David Stanton

Am I correct in saying that members pay a membership fee to Guaranteed Irish?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

That is right.

Deputy David Stanton

Am I right in saying large companies pay more than smaller companies? Can I get a sense of that?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

We have a membership fee based on our own values where the bigger guys help the smaller guys. We are very transparent about that. The larger the number of employee base, the larger the fee. For the small businesses who employ nine people or fewer, their membership fee is €550 per annum plus VAT. It goes all the way up to €20,000-plus depending on the number of employees in an organisation. That is how we break it down and structure it. It is the big guys giving the small guys a leg-up.

Deputy David Stanton

There are in excess of 2,000 members. Is there potential to grow beyond that?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Yes. We are in a very ambitious trajectory at the moment. We are extremely ambitious.

Deputy David Stanton

What is the target?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

We would like to get to between 3,000 and 4,000 members in the next three years. To do that, we have multiplied our performance since 2017 by ten. We have gone from 200 members - it was a very low-performing brand – and it is now over 2,000. Now we want to double that. That will put us in the driving seat of not-for-profit membership organisations in the country. We have our eye on the prize and we are determined to get there. We would love the committee’s help but we are going to do it anyway.

Deputy David Stanton

That is why the witnesses are here – to see if we can help.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

I think the committee can. The welcome has been fantastic and the opportunities are there.

Deputy David Stanton

Does Guaranteed Irish have a relationship with employer organisations such as IBEC, the Small Firms Association, ISME and Chambers Ireland?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Absolutely. IBEC does a fantastic job as do many of the other organisations but we do not like to be in the same budget line as any of those. No one is offering the national symbol of trust and provenance other than Guaranteed Irish. Everybody else is offering networking opportunities, which are similar to some of what we do, but they do not represent all of what we do. We are unique in that offering. We would like to see businesses looking at us as an imperative marketing tool to grow sales and not just something that is nice to have.

Deputy David Stanton

I suggest that if Guaranteed Irish has proposals on State grants that it would make a concrete proposal to one of the Departments. Higher education would be one that particularly comes to mind but there are others.

Are any State organisations members of Guaranteed Irish or would there be any advantage in that? Could they join?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

They certainly could join. One of the reasons we are here today is to myth-bust all that. Everyone is entitled to join. Not everybody will get through. The same criteria applies to the small candlemaker at home as to the large multinational and Government organisation. The criteria, values and beliefs are really critical to that. But I imagine many of them would share those. We would love to see them but they have not joined. We do not get any funding or help connected to the State. Testimony to the success of Guaranteed Irish is that as the private sector is funding it, that is point of proof. We would love to see the likes of State agencies applying for membership and we would be delighted to share their stories. I could list them but the Deputy will know them himself. There are many things we do across promotion, marketing and PR. We have a Guaranteed Irish Stories podcast. We would love everyone to listen, subscribe and download and comment. We have various marketing events, including thought leadership opportunities for our leaders in business. It is really important that we present these opportunities because the small guys starting off need to have a role model. We do a lot in the area of marketing and PR and we are very good at it. I am unashamed about saying that.

Deputy David Stanton

How is it structured? Is it an NGO?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

We are a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee.

Deputy David Stanton

It does not have charitable status.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

Absolutely not. No. We run quite a commercial organisation, albeit not for profit.

Deputy David Stanton

I am involved in the Open Doors Initiative, which is doing a lot of work supporting jobs in Ireland. I am not sure if Guaranteed Irish is involved in an organisation like that or if it is a supporting member. Has it considered that kind of thing?

Ms Bríd O'Connell

We would think favourably of them but as a not-for-profit, we are not in a position to support it financially. But we certainly would be open to helping it in any way we can.

Deputy David Stanton

I think that is everything. I thank everyone for their time and for the work they do. If there is any way in which the committee can help, we will.

Ms Bríd O'Connell

I very much appreciate that.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

I would like to understand this in terms of the marketing activity the witnesses spoke about and some of its firms being awarded marketing promotion on that. It seems to me there are two driving objectives - one is to recruit new partners to receive the Guaranteed Irish brand and the second is to create awareness of the brand to try to pull people in. Will the witnesses speak about that? What is Guaranteed Irish doing on social media now that the Taoiseach has basically shown us all the way to get on TikTok and everything else? What is Guaranteed Irish doing in terms of generating awareness with consumers on the ground, particularly the younger consumers? The problem I see with Guaranteed Irish is that it is a brand we know well if we are in our forties onwards. I am not so sure it is so well known among the under-35s. I want to drive awareness around that point.

Ms Sinead Mitchell

I thank Deputy and he is right. The Guaranteed Irish symbol is probably known more within certain generations than others. This is a big focus for us at the moment and a growth area. We use Instagram, X formerly known as Twitter, and we have quite a big target for TikTok. We have delved into it slightly but we will be upping the ante on TikTok. LinkedIn is a big one that works for us. We have some super members who are new, progressive and very active on TikTok and on social media. They are quite young and entrepreneurial. When they become members, we are able to work with them and they can help and assist us in getting a wider audience and educating people in that area because they have helped us. For instance, we had a video on TikTok and Instagram from one of our members who has a dress-rental business and she helped us to launch our 50th anniversary campaign. She did a fantastic video about how she gives back to her local area, which is in Leopardstown, and how she hosts events, uses the Guaranteed Irish symbol and how it has benefitted her. That video was viewed 20,000 to 25,000 times by a very different audience than would have viewed our members previously.

We have varied members now who we can work with and who have various content. We might look at the jobs, community or provenance aspects and we reach out to members to say, "We would like to work with you on this campaign. What have you got going on at the moment that we can assist with?". We involve the members in our podcast, for instance, and they can tell us exactly where they are coming from and then we are able to promote that to different audiences and pull out the finer details of what the members are doing.

We have a new podcast being produced at the moment and we are making good social media content and pulling out the interesting facts that are picked up by people when we push it out on Instagram. It is an area Guaranteed Irish is looking at more and more, particularly TikTok. We are doing very well. LinkedIn is extremely beneficial to us as is Instagram. We have our own content and we are able to design some wonderful pieces for our members. We try to give the 2,000 members an opportunity, so we work ahead to come up with our communications plan and our themes and then look at who we can work with.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

There is so much noise out there if an organisation has a brand presence, it is far easier to scale it than to start it now at this point in time.

Ms Sinead Mitchell

Yes.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

I do not know if Ms Mitchell has considered it, but maybe she could do something generic to all 2,000 companies, asking them to push it out for one week of promotion of Guaranteed Irish.

Ms Sinead Mitchell

There is a guarantee of Guaranteed Irish campaign. We asked everyone to get involved in that and we put together a zip file folder and sent it to all our members. They were able to tailor it slightly to put their employees within the static image of who they wanted to promote. Some members used it extremely well and some used it less well but the opportunity was there for them. We were then able to share some of the good work they were doing online on our own channels as well. We will continue to do that and make it easy for members to work with Guaranteed Irish from a media and PR perspective.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

It is a brave new world. Unfortunately, we all have to operate in the virtual world now. That is the way it is.

An Cathaoirleach

That concludes the joint committee's consideration of matters today. I thank the Guaranteed Irish representatives for attending and assisting the committee. We will discuss this matter further in private session. We will go into private session now if that is agreed? It is agreed.

The joint committee went into private session at 10.35 a.m. and adjourned at 10.48 a.m. until 9.30 a.m. Wednesday, 8 May 2024.