Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

If it is a Government direction, the latest Minister, Deputy Mary Coughlan, says it is IDA Ireland policy and that the Minister only provides a direction to ensure there is fair play. However, it does not seem to come our way, unfortunately.

I have raised the matter of trade missions with various Ministers and the Taoiseach. I agree there should be trade missions and I see much merit in them. However, I wonder how they are constituted. It always seems to be a big businessman who accompanies the mission. I never see a county manager or the leader of a county enterprise board travel. It is always the successful businessman who decorates the table when the Minister travels. I wonder how counties Kildare and Kilkenny create interest and generate employment in the area. County Kildare borders a BMW region, including counties Offaly and Laois. This means there is a battle to overcome, yet we get no help from the people who should provide it, namely, IDA Ireland and the Minister.

I welcome the fact the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, under the chairmanship of my colleague, Deputy Penrose, intends to visit Athy. The committee's decision represents a recognition of the problems in the town. We will be able to make the case for Athy at that forum. There is an urgent need for IDA Ireland officials and the Minister to make a genuine effort to give fair play to counties such as Kildare which do not appear on the itineraries that are drawn up when they visit various locations.

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