Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for attending today's debate. I welcome his commitment to small industry. If he wishes to discuss negativity, I would like him to read through some of the Dáil debates from 1995 and 1996. I well remember those times when Nora Owen was accused of almost every murder which took place. We have a right in Opposition to raise issues. Deputy McGuinness did so extremely well from his own back bench prior to becoming a Minister of State.

The recent Forfás annual employment survey clearly shows how the Border region, part of which I represent, has lost out from the failure of Government and Government agencies to invest in the region. High end, high paying jobs are in the main concentrated in urban areas such as Dublin and Cork. The constituency of Cavan-Monaghan has been extremely dependent on the furniture and food industries. Furniture has lost out to the Far East and the food industry has been seriously affected by unlabelled imports or products, the quality of which cannot be guaranteed, such as beef from Brazil. Grove Farm in Smithborough is a victim of Government failure with regard to food labelling. I warned the Government and the Taoiseach in this Chamber with regard to this eight years ago.

It is disappointing that the ten years since the Good Friday Agreement have shown a drop from 10.3% of agency supported workers in the Border region in 1998 to 6.4% in 2007. In total, from February 2007 to February 2008, 1,000 extra people have signed on for social welfare in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, never mind the large number of those who have lost their jobs since February, such as those in Grove Farm and the building trade. A large number of foreign workers who were paying PRSI and PAYE have gone elsewhere since they lost jobs in the building industry. Large numbers were employed in industries such as timber framed houses and Kingspan related building industries.

In light of the present failures of the Government to utilise the benefits of the peace process, it must reconsider the lack of support for local industry, such as the lack of broadband in rural areas. One company in a village in County Cavan employs 23 people. It needs to do business on-line but broadband is not available and it cannot even get an idea from Eircom as to when it might be possible. Tourism has great potential in the Border region, in areas such as Castleleslie and Glaslough. We have top quality hotels in every town in Cavan and Monaghan. However, it is hardly on the map for tourism as far as Fáilte Ireland is concerned.

A previous speaker mentioned the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and a cheese factory in the deep south. One of the biggest disappointments in our area was that every co-op in the northern region from Donegal to the west to Cavan-Monaghan came together to instigate a cheese plant, sought grant aid and were refused. This is an indication of where Government thinking must change. The Government must remain committed to the Border region. I recognise and accept the Taoiseach was committed to the peace process but his Ministers must follow on this.

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