Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)

I wrote to the chief executive of IDA Ireland last January, Mr. Barry O'Leary, requesting a meeting about the decision to put the Tralee-based company Telestone on the market, and about growing unemployment figures. In my six years in this House I have pointed out that Kerry and the south west have been neglected by IDA Ireland and by the Government. There is almost twice the national average of unemployment in my constituency. Mr. O'Leary and two of his colleagues met with Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, Senator Ned O'Sullivan and myself in Tralee in April. They accept that what we had been saying is true, and they also recognised that Kerry had many advantages in terms of the promotion of foreign direct investment.

The latest figures from the CSO show that in the past year, the level of unemployment in Kerry has jumped by 78%. These figures are not surprising, given the downturn in the construction industry. The overall level of unemployment in Kerry has increased from 6,144 in October 2007 to 10,259 in October 2008. In Tralee, unemployment has jumped from 3,045 to 4,518, which is an increase of almost 1,500 people. In Listowel, unemployment has risen from 1,038 to 1,843 in one year. This has also led to an increase in emigration, as people find it impossible to get work in the area.

The vast majority of people leaving the country work in the construction sector. Most young people over the last seven years got a trade and went into the construction sector, and the local economy was built on this sector, which was unsustainable. Young people are now emigrating to England, the US or Australia to seek employment.

More IDA Ireland investment should have been targeted to Kerry over the years. There should have been a level playing pitch for the people of the west. From the replies to many of my parliamentary questions, it is clear that very few IDA Ireland companies have been established in Kerry, despite the fact that we have a technology park and an institute of technology. IDA Ireland appears to be devoting little effort to interesting companies to come to the county.

As 21% of the labour force work for IDA Ireland supported companies, more people in Kerry are employed by companies established under the Leader programme. These companies have a 70% success rate. We need to see more emphasis put on ensuring that indigenous industries are promoted and supported. That is one way to help the current situation. We are close to a 15% unemployment rate in Kerry, given the rise over the last 12 months. Before that, we were running at twice the national average.

Coastal communities in the region have suffered greatly with the closure of the drift net salmon fishing industry. That has contributed to the decline in the economy in rural and coastal communities. We need to see support for indigenous industries. IDA Ireland needs to pursue a policy of positive discrimination towards counties that are badly in need of investment. The best of our young population are currently leaving the country to seek employment. That is not good enough. Other Deputies from the constituency have been highlighting the problems in Kerry and the west since 2002.

I await the Minister's response. I urge that political direction be given and that positive discrimination used to bring jobs to Kerry and other areas that are suffering at the moment.

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