IRELAND'S small businesses loiter at the bottom of the language league, with only 31 per cent of companies able to negotiate in a foreign language, according to a new survey. And, undermining the perception that the Irish are good at getting subsidies from Brussels, they also score well below the average for knowledge of EU grant procedures.
The Grant Thornton annual business snrvey of small-to-medium-sized industry shows approximately 80 per cent of firms in Ireland expect turnover to increase this year. A majority expect to employ more people and to be more profitable.
The survey also reports that 46 per cent of Irish companies take a positive view of the introduction of the single currency. A further 33 per cent say they don't know what impact it will have, 12 per cent believe it will have no effect and 7 per cent say it will have a negative affect.
On language proficiency, an average of two-thirds of small firms across the EU have at least one executive who can negotiate in a second language, the survey reports. In Ireland that figure drops to 31 per cent, the lowest of all.
"Another surprise was that Irish companies have a below-average knowledge of the EU grant system, with only 29 per cent having knowledge as compared to the EU average of 36 per cent," said Mr Raleigh.
Irish companies said late payment remained a problem for them, with the average period standing at 59 days. This compares to 35 days in Denmark and 49 days in Britain. Mediterranean countries have the worst records in this area, with the Italian average at 83 days, the Greek at 85 days and the Spanish at 73 days. The principal late-paying culprits for Irish companies are other SMEs, which account for 37 per cent of such delays, according to the survey, while the public sector accounts for 31 per cent.
