Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I understand that Bank of Scotland (Ireland) is to make the announcement this evening. I regret the fact that those workers will lose their jobs. I understand that redundancy terms will be offered. It is part of a bank restructuring worldwide, with institutions pulling back from markets which are not profitable for them. I am pleased that a substantial part of the business of Bank of Scotland (Ireland) will remain with 850 jobs involved. This decision should not affect other players in the market. I have been assured that all customers of Bank of Scotland (Ireland) will be looked after and will not be disadvantaged by the changes.

Boston Scientific has informed IDA Ireland that 175 people on temporary contract will be released from their contracts. That is against a background where Boston Scientific continues to employ 3,000 people in Galway. It has a large number of temporary employees to facilitate a ramp-up-ramp-down process as volumes dictate.

As regards the Deputy's question on the innovation task force, I told him last week during parliamentary questions that the penultimate meeting was last week and it was likely that a report would be available by the end of this month. That is a month or six weeks later than expected, but a number of groups have been working on it. That valuable work will be beneficial.

The international content services centre will be worked on through the digital hub in liaison with the IDA. They will be working hard to see in what way we can bring that particular project forward. It is part of a number of projects concerned with identifying new areas, including Internet technologies, internationally-traded services, the green-clean tech area and the food industry. In such areas, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland can prepare a jobs strategy even in the context of this year when we expect unemployment to peak, although jobs will still be created. The churning of jobs between losses and gains continues. There is no doubt that the public finance position we are bringing forward is the best way, and a prerequisite for ensuring that we get more jobs into the economy. In that manner, these projects can obtain support and be brought from concept to fruition.

As I understand it, those are the four points the Deputy raised in his question and those are the answers.

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