Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

That is a story for another day. My experiences help me to understand this big issue. I strongly believe we need to concentrate on job creation. While big jobs have to come, we also have to remember the little jobs. I would like to mention a couple of points in my brief contribution. I had intended to spend some time having a go at FÁS. I was particularly concerned in recent weeks to hear about the problems being encountered by a number of organisations in Tallaght. Representatives of Tallaght Welfare Society and the enhancement projects in Killinarden and Jobstown told me it was proposed to cut the training and materials grants. I am glad it has been confirmed to me over the past couple of days that the cuts in question will not now be implemented. I understand other Deputies have been involved in this issue too. It seems that FÁS management intends to review the matter. I appeal to the Minister of State, Deputy John Moloney, to remind the Tánaiste that we should not be picking on the vulnerable. I have a strong commitment to social inclusion. I believe FÁS schemes are very important, although they need to be reviewed and possibly redesigned. We need to know what will happen to the job initiative schemes, which are the subject of a great deal of discussion among the various groups. We should not pick on people who need these grants. I hope the Tánaiste will ensure the decision FÁS has made will not be reversed. There should be no more cuts in these schemes.

I would like to speak about the image of all our communities. I do not mind if other Deputies want to make a point about the job creation needs and demands of their constituencies. They will have my support if they do so. I feel strongly about Dublin, particularly Tallaght and the other areas of Dublin South-West. Some Members will be aware that a decision made by Quinn Direct has received a great deal of publicity over the past couple of days, including in tonight's Evening Herald. It has been suggested that Quinn Direct will no longer offer insurance to people living in certain communities, including parts of Tallaght, Glasnevin and Clondalkin, because of the risks involved. It is disgraceful for any company to pick on communities in such a manner. Tallaght and the other communities I have mentioned do not deserve to be treated like that. They do not deserve the image they have been given. I ask my colleagues to support me in appealing to the Tánaiste to ascertain whether action can be taken against Quinn Direct. I am not a bit afraid to name the company. It is disgraceful to create such an image of any community. People in all our communities always talk about the image other people have of their local areas. They emphasise the need to be positive, especially in the interests of job creation. I intend to be positive about Tallaght every minute I am awake, every day of the week. I will not tolerate companies like Quinn Direct that pick on the people of Tallaght. My colleagues who represent places like Ballymun, Glasnevin and Clondalkin can speak up for those areas. We need to draw up innovative job creation strategies. I am a strong supporter of the county enterprise boards. While I do not want to draw Deputy English on me, I understand that Fine Gael has suggested we should take a different approach to the enterprise boards. Perhaps that is fair enough.

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