Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Although Dublin has the best roads and cars people cannot drive them anywhere because they are in traffic jams for two or three hours every day. If that is what the Government wants to offer, good luck to Fianna Fáil but the people will soon speak.

If the Competition Bill was introduced by anybody other than the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, I would be happy. He made a mess of education and health and has already made a mess of his current ministry.

Last week the Minister, Deputy Martin, visited my constituency but did not invite me to meet him although I had invited him to visit. As I would not go anywhere I was not invited I did not meet him although he met all the Fianna Fáil lap dogs. I was surprised the Minister did not want competition when he came to my town as he wishes to administer competition in the country. I will tell the Deputies what he did and what RTE — which must not have had much to cover that day — did.

There is a company in my town, Westport, that employs 120 people and the Minister promised them 20 jobs next year. There was no mention of the 400 jobs we lost in Allergan last year. The Minister went to Cork the next day and announced 1,000 jobs. If that is what we depend on, God help this country and that Department. As I said, the Minister, Deputy Martin, made a mess of education and health and will make a mess of trade too. The Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, was welcome to the west last weekend where he received a stormy welcome, although not in my town.

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