Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

Absolutely.

Somebody should inform the Minister what it is like to try and establish a small business outside Dublin. It is abysmal, given the broadband infrastructure, which is a major impediment against improving competitiveness. Time and again it comes up as one of the gaping holes in this country's infrastructure and it must be tackled.

I commend and support the motion. It is about a new type of thinking for a new era. If we do not change, we shall always get the same results. When we think back to Ardnacrusha, the establishment of the ESB and rural electrification, these were major challenges at the time and they were brave and bold initiatives. This new era fits into that category.

I am disappointed at the response of the Minister of State, where he totally dismissed the motion. He seemed to be looking at it for the first time and was not familiar with it. That is disappointing since there are so many positive new ways of moving forward in a green economy. This small open economy wants to play its role again, to re-establish where we were in the 1980s and 1990s. At that stage it was our infrastructure and also our education standards that ensured we reached the heights to which we became accustomed.

Today we received a response from the Government to the motion, which is extremely disappointing. One wonders whether the people who drafted this response are aware of what is happening in the light of the announcements that have been made in recent weeks. The Government response talks about investment in public transport, for example. Is it aware that bus routes have been axed and that there are empty bus lanes? The car parking levy which was supposed to encourage the use of public transport has been scrapped.

The Government amendment to the motion asks us to commend its action directed at stabilising the public finances. We had a budget earlier this month that did nothing to tackle public finances. It was a tax on workers, there was no emphasis on tackling waste and inefficiencies or bureaucracy, no mention of a stimulus package to encourage job creation and job maintenance. The Government's response was to note the commitment to science, innovation and technology. Are the people who drafted the amendment aware that funding for science and engineering research has been cut this year? Are they aware that the cuts we had in the budget before Christmas, as regards education and class sizes, will mean that classes in physics, applied maths, chemistry, etc., which are essential for an economy that wants to develop as world class science, innovation and technology sector, are being withdrawn and will not be available for many leaving certificate students this year?

The Government needs to examine its response and recognise that it contains gaping holes. It does not measure or match the reality that exists. I should like if more thought were given to the motion by the Government. It should respond positively to it because it is constructive well thought out and meaningful and it goes a long way towards ensuring that Ireland can return to the era of competitiveness we have seen heretofore.

See this speech in context