Tom Barry (Cork East, Fine Gael)

It is clear that many Members of the House have not run or are not running a solvent business. The only job some of them have created is their own. They have spoken highly of Iceland, but we are not in Iceland. We live and trade in this country. It is easy to be critical and difficult to be constructive.

I will speak about the systematic destruction of our indigenous industries, such as sugar and chocolate production and so forth. People say that the policies pursued by this Government are no different from those of the last Government. That is rubbish. It is populist speech. We are all workers. Some people might be aware that agriculture underwent negative benchmarking for many years.

I commend the Minister on the actions he has taken to date. As a person who has founded and currently runs a business, it is clear to me that his actions have instilled, and continue to instill, confidence in our economy both in this country and abroad. The extremely difficult process of ongoing negotiation is being dealt with in a businesslike fashion which shows both a clear minded approach and systematic thinking. The strands simultaneously put in place by this Government are working to sow the seeds of recovery. The Minister has sought to restructure and stabilise our banking system which, unpalatable as it might be to many Members of the House, is something which had to be achieved. The Government's jobs initiative will secure the economic growth that must accompany the EU-IMF programme.

I thank the Minister for paying heed to the suggestions put forward by many Members in respect of the jobs initiative. I am sure several of those suggestions will be taken on board, either in part or in full, with the aim of providing real employment in the community. It is important that people should see the strands of recovery coming together and forming a real opportunity to get Ireland moving again.

Who are the people responsible for stating that the pay of workers is being savaged? I run an indigenous, small to medium-sized agribusiness. We treat our employees fairly and with decency. Of course we have all been obliged to work longer hours, but that is how we will survive. The members of my generation have borrowed heavily and have invested in the State. It is they who are suffering under the debt burden. Other Members must recognise that fact.

Ireland's economic recovery will be led by exports. In that context, agri-industry will play a major and pivotal role. Real jobs are created in the area of manufacturing. It should not be forgotten that in business one trades on one's reputation. This country is no different in that regard. Members who continually refer to who created our problems should go away and read the Nyberg report. Focusing on the past will not allow us to fix the future.

I commend the Minister on looking forward and on taking all the steps and fostering the conditions necessary to facilitate the creation of employment. We must explain to people that creating jobs, particularly in respect of small to medium-sized indigenous industries, is a gradual process. One cannot merely switch on job creation as one would switch on a light bulb. The road towards job creation is long but, as a person who runs a business, I am of the opinion that each step we take upon it represents a step in the right direction.

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