Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this very important motion and thank my colleague, Deputy Leo Varadkar, for tabling it. As Deputy McHugh said, it is not up to us to talk down our economy. We should be coming into this House and talking up our economy. Unfortunately, however, the way our economy has gone in the last year or two, we have had no choice but to tell the facts as they are.

I have no doubt that many Deputies on the other side of the House agree with the Fine Gael motion and the sentiments expressed by the Fine Gael speakers regarding the direction our economy has taken. If one examines the construction industry, for example, my county of Wexford has been totally dependent on that industry for the past number of years. A number of factories have closed in County Wexford and have not been replaced, especially in Wexford town and Enniscorthy. These included electronics and manufacturing plants. Hundreds of jobs have been lost. Rosslare Europort is located in County Wexford but it is not being used to its full capacity. I blame the Government, particularly the Ministers for Finance and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, for not utilising County Wexford, and particularly the Rosslare Europort to its full potential.

The Minister of State, Deputy McGuinness, attended a recent launch by Aircon Engineering, at which I was also present and saw at first hand what that company has achieved. It is a committed Irish company which did not receive any help from IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, the Government or any semi-State organisation. The staff worked hard themselves. The company started with approximately 20 employees, has grown over the last ten years and is now employing upwards of 150 people. That company was started by genuine people who have worked hard to get where they are today and who received no hand-outs. At the same time, there are companies coming into the country which receive hand-outs. However, when our competitiveness changes, labour costs rise, energy prices increase or our infrastructure, including broadband, does not develop, they leave. They leave because they are not being genuinely looked after by the Government. While it is wonderful to see foreign direct investment in the country, it is important that foreign companies are looked after.

Deputy Breen spoke about the unemployment figures in County Clare but the figures for County Wexford are far more staggering. In the past 12 months there has been a 23% rise in the numbers on the live register. That is an absolute shame, particularly in the context of the buoyant economy that we have enjoyed for the past number of years. There has been a 25% increase in the live register figures in Enniscorthy. While Enniscorthy is not a major town by any measure, the fact that 25% more people have gone onto the live register there in the last 12 months tells its own story.

County Wexford has been totally reliant on the construction industry over the past number of years. Anyone who visits Wexford will see the vast amount of houses and other buildings that have been developed there. Often when people spoke to me about the construction industry in England and the fact that it declined overnight, I argued that it could not happen here. However, that is exactly what has happened in Ireland and in Wexford in particular.

Last weekend I called on the Government to set up a task force. However, I have spoken to Deputies from various other counties in which task forces are already in place who have told me they have made absolutely no difference. If a task force is to be set up in Wexford, it must have teeth. It must make a difference and be a forum in which people are listened to but unfortunately, this Government has not listened to the people of Wexford for the past number of years. The number of additional people on the live register there tells its own story.

It is sad for me to see people having to draw the dole or the jobseeker's allowance who genuinely want to work. Deputy McHugh made reference to a person who had to go back to England to find work. Are we going back to those old days again, where people had to emigrate to find work? I ask the Government to give serious consideration to what is happening. I urge it not to deny what is occurring.

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