Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The 2001 report refers to bottlenecks in the physical infrastructure of housing, transport and other areas. Will the Taoiseach comment on how many of the OECD's conclusions and policy options have been dealt with since then? I note in the executive summary of the 2006-07 global competitiveness report that Ireland is ranked at 31. In respect of higher education and training, Ireland is ranked at 16, which means a slippage in terms of our competitiveness as against countries such as Finland, Norway and Sweden which have held the top three places in these areas for a long time.

Will the Taoiseach comment on reform of the energy market in view of the decision to grant the ESB authority to build a new power plant? Will he also comment on the implementation of a North-South interconnector? This was agreed by Government a long time ago but not a single pylon has gone into the ground.

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