Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister referred to some of the discussions taking place in Europe in respect of a new era of industrial activity in Europe, manufacturing and a new industrial revolution. Such talk strikes one as odd because our economies have become fixated on activity in areas at the opposite end of the spectrum. I refer to the focus there has been on information technology, etc. References to manufacturing and a new industrial revolution jar somewhat in the context of the trend to which we have become accustomed. Is the Minister of the view that our economy has become very lopsided in the context of its over-dependence on information technology and all the skills and activities associated therewith? If we were to heed the calls with regard to a new era of manufacturing and a return to making things - the bedrock of economic activity from the earliest times - how would we be positioned? Is Ireland well placed to make a mark in such a new era of manufacturing?