John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

The small and medium enterprise sector has created 800,000 jobs. Some 95% of these companies emerged from the activities of county enterprise boards, Enterprise Ireland and the activities of the IDA.

Let us consider the knowledge economy and research and development. Although we lost 70 jobs in County Kilkenny today, I respect what happened there. I will support the workers to ensure their rights are secured. However, there is also a positive story involving Merck Sharp & Dohme in County Carlow which is building on the knowledge economy and creating jobs. They are not politicians; they are business people putting money where their mouth is.

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