Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It is a little unreal that we are taking Taoiseach's questions, given the events of the day, and it will be difficult to hold the Taoiseach to commitments he might make in the next month.

Maintaining competitiveness must be the bread and butter of a social partnership system and the consequences of social partnership. Is the Taoiseach concerned by the remarks made recently by Barack Obama, a candidate for the US Presidency? He is interested in implementing legislation that would allow for the repatriation of moneys by American multinationals, which would have a serious impact on Ireland. Will the Taoiseach raise that issue with his counterpart in the US when he visits there in the next month?

The Central Bank has indicated that Ireland's share of world trade has declined by a quarter, competitiveness has deteriorated by 30%, 30,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost, Ireland's balance of payments has turned from a surplus to a record deficit of just under €10 billion and unemployment is at a ten-year high. Social partnership has had its value but, for instance, following the driving test fiasco and the failure to introduce widespread e-government, the model is stuck in the old ways. It is not the one we need now to deal with confidence for the future and to face the challenges of a new era, given the competitiveness challenge from the far east and emerging countries in Europe and the US. Will the Taoiseach comment on that?

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