Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

There have been many items raised under this Labour Party motion. I am obliged to discuss the local problems that arise in my constituency. The constituencies in County Kildare are probably the fastest growing in the country. However, there is a comparison to be made and there is also the unfortunate and sad situation whereby the unemployment figures more than match the rise in the population. We can measure this in three areas in County Kildare using the figures of the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Central Statistics Office.

Remarkably, between 2004 and 2008, there was a significant increase in unemployment in these three areas. I am not scaremongering, just providing facts. The Minister can talk of scaremongering but it is not possible to dispute the facts presented. In the Athy centre for the unemployed, the facts are that in 2004, some 873 people were on the live register, while in 2008 some 1,223 people are on the register, an increase of 43%. In Maynooth, 1,573 people were on the live register in 2004 while in 2008 there are 2,147 people, an increase of 36.5%. In Newbridge, the biggest town in the constituency, 2,299 people were on the live register in 2004, but in 2008 there are 4,213 people, an unbelievable increase of 86.7%. These are Department of Social and Family Affairs figures.

I wish to compare these increases to the efforts that have been made to counteract them. The only means open to me to do this is by way of parliamentary questions. I have put questions to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment over a long period, when Deputies Micheál Martin and Mary Coughlan held the post, and previously. The constituencies in County Kildare are probably the fastest growing in the country. Given the unemployment figures and IDA Ireland itineraries of visits to the constituency during that period, the extent to which the Government is responsible to the people of Kildare is revealed starkly. During that time, IDA Ireland visited County Kildare with itineraries on three occasions — twice in 2003 and once in 2007. This compares unfavourably to any other constituency, except for County Kilkenny which it did not visit for whatever reason. IDA Ireland visited the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's constituency eight times, three times, twice and once in each of these years, which is not too bad.

There are four IDA Ireland sites in County Kildare which it wanted to sell. It did not visit these sites; there was no need as it was not going to do anything with them. It wanted to sell them to the local authority. I agreed with this as it would lead to the local authority owning four business parks in the county in which it could develop small and medium enterprises. However, IDA Ireland purchased the sites in 1973 for a minimal figure and then wanted market prices when it came to selling them. It wanted prime prices for the lands in Castledermot, Athy, Monasterevin and Kildare town. The local authorities could not get the funds to purchase these lands and the opportunity was lost to counteract the rise in unemployment figures. IDA Ireland does not want to know about the problems. However, it had a significant interest in County Carlow some four miles from Castledermot and 11 miles from Athy.

I have seen the former Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, wave his flag and mention all the times he visited County Carlow and the wonderful work ongoing there, yet he would not visit the fastest growing constituency in the country. In reply to a parliamentary question, the Minister promised to meet me to discuss the figures and go through them to see what could be done, which must have been a mistake by his secretary because it was never followed through. The Minister, Deputy Micheál Martin, is now gone from that Department and the meeting never took place. The former Minister forgot about it but said on the last occasion I raised the matter that he was in County Kildare. However, he did not meet me to discuss the figures as he said.

We face a degree of uncertainty I have not previously seen. I could discuss all night the very sad cases that have been brought to my attention in recent weeks. People are beginning to ask an inevitable question, and there is not one Deputy who will not be asked it in the next number of weeks if it has not already happened. People will ask Deputies to make representations to the local authority requesting it to buy out the mortgage on their home because they are no longer in a position to buy. I guarantee there is no Senator or Deputy in the Houses who will not be asked that question. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment is ignoring the situation. I cannot understand how IDA Ireland could visit one county numerous times, yet not visit a fast growing county such as Kildare at all.

See this speech in context