Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Labour Party is not here, so I do not know if it subscribes to that. However, I doubt that it does.

Other measures are being put in place. A code of conduct for small and medium-size enterprise lending is up and running and is very effective. A credit review committee is being chaired by John Trethowan and it makes sure that loans are being paid out. There is a fund of €12 billion over two years between AIB and Bank of Ireland to provide loans to local businesses. Partnership companies and county enterprise boards are in receipt of such loans.

Change is happening out there. Three different business delegations have come to see me at my office in Castletown, County Laois. The first was a small manufacturing export company in County Laois that has 22 employees, and it wants to increase its market in the EU. The second was a specialised company in the construction industry with six employees and it cannot keep up with its work. The third was a sales and sales support high-tech ICT company from Portlaoise that now employs 25 people, even though it did not exist two years ago. It wanted access to the metropolitan area network and additional office space in the town so that it could increase its services. Last Saturday I met representatives of these three businesses in Castletown and I believe the shoots exist but we need to nurture them. I am not saying we have turned the corner, but I believe we are on the right track from the Government's point of view.

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