John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)

I welcome the Minister's action plan, but it must be seen. Time is not on Waterford's side. Given the substantial job losses in recent years, we need an action plan now. It can be a task force or an action plan - I am not tied to either - but it must show the thousands of unemployed people in Waterford that there is some hope for the future.

Another blow this past week saw the VEC relocated to County Wexford because of cronyism.

See this speech in context