Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

While Nero fiddles Rome burns. There will be no strategy until the Fianna Fáil election manifesto is produced. It is now 2011. The most recent strategy finished at the end of 2010 and the Minister gave a commitment at the end of December last that the new strategy would be brought before the House within 60 days. Is he now saying no Department strategy will be produced but that it will become part of the Fianna Fáil election manifesto? The Minister might also enlighten us as to when the general election will take place.

While the Government document, Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy set a target of 300,000 jobs, all the agencies under the aegis of the Minister's Department employ fewer than 300,000 people. Does the Minister not agree that since 2000, not one additional job has been created by the enterprise agencies under his direction?

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