Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I do not share the Deputy's doom and gloom. He referred to the World Economic Forum index. Ireland was ranked 21st of 80 countries in 2002, 22nd of 102 in 2003 and 22nd of 104 in 2004. Ireland is seventh in the EU rankings behind the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria and France.

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