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

There is no doubt that in certain areas, such as workers' rights, there is a necessity for a team effort across the EU to develop certain standards. If there are certain standards, it is easier for countries to compete on other issues because they share a level baseline with regard to workers' rights. As to other areas, there is a continuous push to homogenise the tools we use to develop our economies and jobs, but sometimes a diversity of problems demands a diversity of responses. Is that opportunity available?

Second, when one analyses the credit provisions that have been put forward by the Government one sees a low take-up. Is the Minister confident that the instruments at European level are being properly harvested by Ireland at State institutional level and at enterprise level?

Our long-term youth unemployment crisis is far greater than that in most member states. Are we getting an adequate financial response from Europe in efforts to combat that? Is there recognition of our special needs because of our difficult problems?