M J Nolan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. It is timely that it should come when we have seen major job losses in Galway. It is important to point out, however, that for the 500 jobs lost there we are creating twice as many. We are creating more than 1,300 jobs net weekly and this cannot be lost on the Members of Fine Gael who have tabled this motion. To succeed we must be competitive and clearly the international commercial fraternity seems to believe Ireland is competitive and a good country in which to set up. While we may be losing some low-skill jobs, which are by their nature mobile — we have seen many of them move to the Far East — they are being replaced by high-quality well-paid jobs. It is affording an opportunity to Irish students and young people in particular to——

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