Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

A number of members have raised the issue of the jobs initiative announced yesterday by Government. Senator Darragh O'Brien stated that many announcements had already been made but there have also been a number of new announcements. There is no single solution to the jobs crisis. We have had many years of bad policy in that regard.

The Government's plan contains two strands, a deliberate step-by-step transformation of the economy by improving supports and removing obstacles so that we can get back sustainable enterprise-led growth which will assist more businesses to expand and create new jobs and, identifying and targeting key sectors of strong potential for jobs growth into the future. The key to addressing the jobs crisis, and the central aim of this action plan, is ensuring that we have more successful businesses in Ireland that are exporting more, performing better, expanding faster and creating more jobs.

As has been stated, the plan contains more than 270 pro-jobs measures to be delivered in 2012 by 15 Departments and 36 State agencies. The process will be policed by a monitoring committee, operating out of the Department of the Taoiseach, which will prepare and publish quarterly reports on implementation of the plan. There is transparency and accountability in this area. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. It is an ambitious plan, which is what we need. We also need positivity. It is hoped the announcement of this plan will bring about more positivity rather than the type of negativity from Deputy O'Dea during the past number of days in regard to what might or should be happening. The Deputy also stated that while he wishes the plan well he does not believe it will succeed. We can do without that type of negativity.