Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

——and our economy is now characterised by high output and productivity, together with high returns to labour in the form of wages, salaries and better living standards. Low technology production, which dominated our economic output in the past, is, as Deputy Boyle outlined, being replaced by higher technology and services enterprises. Contrary to what has been said, Irish manufacturing has performed quite strongly. Central Statistics Office, CSO, data indicate that manufacturing production, by volume, increased by 28% overall between 2000 and 2005.

See this speech in context