Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Cathaoirleach agus an Aire. I welcome the presentation. Like my colleague, I take the view that the document is high on aspiration and low on detail. How does the Minister envisage that the industrial proportion of GDP will be increased in the coming period? What key barriers to competitiveness have been identified? Has there been any prioritisation of these key barriers? Often the key barriers are focused on workers' terms and conditions, but there are other key barriers which need to be focused upon as well.

Reference was made to sustainability and energy. What are the details in the proposals on reducing energy costs without going down the US route of energy generation? The regulatory coherence concerning the transatlantic trade and investment partnership is attractive but there is a good deal of scepticism about the projected growth. The Department released a press statement saying there would be a 0.5% increase in the EU GDP. However, in another press statement the Department said there would be a 2.6% increase in European GDP. People in this country have heard of the Lisbon treaty bringing jobs and increasing GDP and they have heard of the fiscal treaty bringing jobs and increasing GDP. Is there any way we can get further detail on that? Has there been forecasting with regard to the level of jobs that will be created from these competitive initiatives? That is the crisis issue throughout the eurozone at the moment. There are concerns with regard to free trade negotiations to the effect that they will favour big business and large agribusiness to the detriment of smaller businesses, smaller farmers and workers' rights. What efforts are being made to ensure that small businesses, workers' rights and small agribusinesses are being protected? Has taxation cropped up in any of these competitiveness negotiations?