Mr. Kevin Bakhurst:

I hope we are not insensitive to the unemployed. All of us know people who have been through unemployment either now or in the past and, therefore, are aware of the pressure it puts on individuals, families and everyone associated with them. Recognition of what it means to people is possibly why prominence is given to job losses because it is easier to say 250 jobs have been lost. The reality is that such news has an impact on 250 people and their families. The sensitivity towards unemployment cuts both ways. Sensitivity to unemployed people is possibly why we rank job losses first.

We have had numerous editorial discussions on the importance of job creation which is equally important to the country. The prominence of the coverage of job creation versus the prominence of the coverage of job losses is something we discuss quite a lot. It features in editorial meetings. My editorial teams could tell the Deputy that I have bored for Ireland, in the past couple years, about this matter - that job creation is an important story. Frankly, it is something that I monitor and my teams know I monitor it quite carefully. The Deputy did make a valid point. I do not think we have always got it right. Sometimes we have overlooked job creation stories and we probably should have done more about them but they are as important as job losses. I refer to framing job losses and demonstrating the very real impact it has on people's lives. The Deputy's point is not lost on us.