Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

It is doing its job in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development. Let us move away from attacking the agencies and deal with the facts.

Mr. Brosnan identified a couple of areas in respect of which he wanted to see significant movement. He referred to governance and boundary issues. It will be interesting to see how Members on the other side of the House will grapple with those issues when the Constituency Commission recommendations are dealt with. We will see local squabbling for territory and wonder whether there will be the same unity of purpose as there is today in attacking the Government. We will learn whether the Members will be able to solve their difficulties on the ground. I suspect they will not.

Deputies referred to investment in regeneration. That is clearly part of the Government's policy. They referred also made to the necessity to deal with the Lynx project. That cannot necessarily be dealt with overnight. Tremendous work has been done behind the scenes on this. Those of us interested in promoting the project have had several meetings with the relevant Ministers. I hope the Lynx project will get the go-ahead.

An issue arises regarding State funding and its impact under EU rules. Notwithstanding that issue, I am confident a solution can be found. If anybody believes the €7 million associated with the project and the €12 million it will invest to develop the facility will solve overnight the plight of the many unemployed in the region, they are misguided and sending out the wrong signal. Bigger issues that arise at national level must be, and are being, dealt with.

It is interesting that the previous speaker criticised the Government for not doing enough based on what he perceived to be the issues identified in the report. Funnily, one of the recommendations, if implemented, would reduce the minimum wage. The task force referred to the reduction in the cost of employment. Inherent in that was a reduction-----

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