Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

Yes, we are broad Europeans. We need the social cohesion which the worker and employer representatives bring to the table as we start to prepare for a second referendum on the Lisbon treaty.

This is a good technical Bill. It allows us here to talk about various matters. There is the fine work done by Enterprise Ireland and the county enterprise boards. There is also the enormous importance attaching to job retention in tandem with the good news about new jobs. We need to have more industrial parks such as the one at the regional centre in Athlone, as these provide a great focus for industry. I am also pleased that the social partners have again come on board with the Government.

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