Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I commend Deputy Varadkar on tabling this motion. Job creation will be and should be the only show in town. When all the diversions of the past couple of weeks die down, there will still be serious unemployment and economic crises with which we must deal. Fine Gael has tried to forward some sensible solutions and some imaginative and creative ones, such as the workshare and national internship programmes. Many of the other proposals make absolute sense, such as the one to expand community employment schemes and afford people the dignity of dong something for the money they get. Let it be for the benefit of the community.

Details on the second-chance education scheme have been outlined. Some students left school for a summer job and decided not to go back because the temptation to have money in their pockets at the time was just too great. We can all say their decisions were based on the folly of youth but it is easy to understand why they took the career decisions they took.

I will deal with the area of interest to me. I regret that Deputy Sargent has stood down as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. I found him frustrating at times in so far as he had a single-mined attitude to organic farming and certain other matters. However, we were always able to have a good robust debate on them.

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment is responsible for commissioning a study on a code of practice for the retail sector. This is very topical at present and the iron must be grabbed while hot because jobs are in jeopardy. We must put job creation and retention at the heart of the Government's economic strategy.

Fine Gael published a Food (Fair Trade and Information) Bill last August. It incorporates the necessary actions that need to be taken to protect those in the agrifood, supply and processing sectors. Ultimately, it is a consumer issue, not just one for producers. The Taoiseach stated today that anecdotal evidence is much easier to obtain than concrete proof, for understandable reasons. That speaks volumes about the circumstances in which we live. People are even afraid to talk secretly because they feel the big multiples will figure out who they are from the figures quoted.

I want to bring two other points to the attention of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. An article in The Sunday Times contains a photograph of the Minister, which is flattering or unflattering depending on one's perspective and quotes the chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association as having said the indigenous export sector is too small for a State-backed credit export insurance scheme. The figure of 9% quoted represents half of all exporting jobs. The rejection was on foot of a KPMG report. We have not seen that report despite several requests for it. Will the Tánaiste clarify whether the report will be made available? It goes on to state that Mr. Denis Brosnan is not very happy with the Limerick regeneration scheme and is threatening to quit because he is frustrated.

I wish to make a further point about the new funding premiums regime in the banks. Small businesses have made representations to me about this. They have never been in default and are good clients of the bank but a 2.8% premium will be attached to their facilities over a five year period purely because the banks have such a bad credit rating. Perhaps the Tánaiste will respond on that point.

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