Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)

The Minister may remember that on the last day before the Christmas holidays, I stood here and had a proper and reasonable debate with him. I spent five minutes setting out Fine Gael's position in this regard before he came back with a bit of garbage. If he reads the transcript of the debate, he will see that I clearly outlined where Fine Gael stands on this issue. We want it to happen faster than the Minister does.

We believe the Minister's approach might or might not work. It might get delayed in the courts for ten or 15 years like the project in Boyle, which is still in the courts. We want the grid to be developed because we know how important it is. We are in touch with the people. We are aware that there might be a better way of doing it. It might be wrong. That remains to be proven. It has not been properly examined. I asked the Minster to consider it properly. I do not believe he has done that. During the debate I mentioned, the Minister gave me a commitment that the reports would be brought before the committee. Tonight, I read an e-mail to the effect that that will not happen, even though the Minister said they should be debated. Likewise, he said he will debate NewERA with us, but he probably will not.

Slowly but surely, the Minister is becoming as bad as his Fianna Fáil colleagues. That is a big disappointment. I singled him out as a guy who would make a difference in this Government, but I have not seen that yet. I hope I see it soon. He should not come in here and accuse me or my party of anything that is untrue. He has tried to claim we are blocking the Grid 25 plan. That is wrong. We want it and we want it fast. It affects my area more than anybody else's area. We want jobs. We have lost jobs because of a lack of electricity. I know all about it. The Minister should not do again what he has done twice so far. He got away with it. He should not come in here again with it. It is wrong, untrue and unfair.

I want to take a positive approach to tonight's debate. We hoped to come in here, discuss a few ideas and make some suggestions. That is the way I want to go about it. However, I would like to make one point about the Tánaiste before I continue. I will deal with her record at a later stage. When she spoke last night about the policies of the Government, she said "if we are remiss in anything, it is in terms of getting the message out to the public about what we are doing". She must not realise that people get that message every week when they receive their social welfare payments of approximately €200, rather than the €800 they used to get when they had a job. They have nowhere to go to work. That strong and clear message hurts them badly. I am fed up of coming in here for a proper debate on jobs, only to hear the same old garbage about how the people are not getting the message that the Government is doing a great job. They are getting the message, but they would rather get a new message.

Fine Gael proposed some new initiatives and ideas last night and tonight. I note that civil servants from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are present. I have repeatedly asked at committee level for a specific plan for each sector to be devised. No new plan has been produced for the retail sector, for example. I have asked for a specific and targeted plan to be drawn up. We asked the Tánaiste a few weeks ago for predictions from IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and all the other agencies about where they will go with jobs over the next couple of years. I was told by the Tánaiste and her sneering colleagues that they do not do predictions. They had no problem doing predictions during the good years. The agencies used to predict on a regular basis that 10,000 jobs would be created over three years and all that kind of stuff. I have to say the people need predictions. The Minister spoke about confidence. The people do not have confidence. They are fearful. They do not have any hope. I will not tell the House what the people I meet on a regular basis are suggesting they might do as a consequence of their lack of hope. That is why we want a real urgency brought to the issue with proper plans and targets laid out. Fine Gael's New Era policy could be one such plan. I accept the Government will want to change some of it but most of its proposals are good.

Last night, placements and internships were suggested as another employment creation measure. Many in the public sector tell us they would be happy to take a day or two off as they have paid off their mortgages and raised their families but they are not approached to accommodate internships. The public service is there to be reformed. It is time we had a real public service that does not get slagged off by the likes of Michael O'Leary or someone in the pub on a Friday night. We need to have a public service in which people have faith and confidence. Many of the unemployed could be engaged in the public service at a low cost.

Fine Gael suggested a loan guarantee scheme before Christmas. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment said on one of her Sunday afternoon chats on radio, just like the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources does, that she is looking at it. Will they stop looking at it and just do it? We need action now as 2010 could be the worst year for job losses. The time for talking is over; it is action we want. If the Government cannot draw up its plans, it can use Fine Gael's.

See this speech in context