Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on this Bill. I cannot help but refer to some of the comments made earlier. Deputy O'Kennedy was very worried about the ideological differences between Fine Gael and the Labour Party. I cannot think of any greater difference than that between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. Fianna Fáil has rolled over in many areas and it has caused some of the increased costs that we are bearing today. According to another speaker, the country has been built on proper regulation. I know that the regulators for electricity and gas held up the price as long as they could, but some of the other regulators have a lot to answer for, and the €22.5 billion needed for Anglo Irish Bank explains why. We have to ask why the price of petrol and diesel are so high today. Farmers and contractors are paying 44% more than they paid this time last year when we compare the respective prices of a barrel of oil. Therefore, there are question marks over some of these regulators.

It was very interesting to hear The Wall Street Journal quoted. I would rather listen to ordinary low-paid civil servants on the ground and others who have to bear the increased costs and problems in this country. It is hard to take lectures from people who have caused so many problems. Only today, Eircom has put up its prices by 3%. Every person I meet who is trying to set up a business in rural Monaghan cannot get broadband. Deputy Conlon sent out letters and fancy cards to such people telling them that we would get the broadband, but the broadband never arrived.

In the time available to me, I would like to refer to electricity costs and water charges. The electricity costs for Wellman International in Mullagh are twice the costs for the company's factory in France. That difference costs the company €2 million every year. We are lucky we still have the company because it is committed to the area. A small factory outside Ballybay is in a business where it must use a lot of water. It recycles its own water, but it still has to pay the waste water charge. This is completely and utterly impossible for that factory to bear, along with the high level of rates. Jobs are being lost in that area because of increased costs, and little effort is being made to control them.

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