Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his praise of the Department. We evaluate our programmes and we are pretty happy. We would like more money for research and innovation and we would like to do more there. We will be pushing towards that. I am telling all my ministerial friends at the Cabinet table that we will be seeking more money in the 2017 budget to ensure we can further reduce the 7.8% unemployment rate.

The Deputy praised the Department. We never hear anybody praise the Department. During the worst recession, the Department staff put their shoulders to the wheel and delivered. In 2011, the Government said it would help to create an environment for 100,000 jobs, and it over-delivered. I remember thinking it would never happen. I thank the Department. Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and all the people I have met from the LEOs are very professional and one would be so proud of them. I was in Carlow recently at one of the LEO exhibitions where we saw some of the work they are doing. They are so focused on getting the job done, which is to get people back to work. I thank the Ministers of State with whom I am working. We will ensure it happens. I also thank the Department for the good job it has done. It is not perfect and we have much more to do, of which I am very conscious. My focus is on the regions and rural Ireland and ensuring we deliver.