Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I expect it to be reflected in the statements on the budget which will be made next week.

We have sought ways to deal with this challenge by introducing a jobs initiative in May. As recently as last week, we held a special Cabinet meeting on the whole issue of employment, arising from which a number of measures were announced such as the establishment of funds which will provide for the extension of credit and the availability of credit to small and medium-sized businesses, in particular, and for start-up businesses, in order to generate employment. We convened a global Irish economic forum, the purpose of which was to bring together people from the Irish Diaspora in order to help restore the country's reputation and to attract investment into this country. We have established the strategic investment fund which was a commitment we made prior to the establishment of the Government, the purpose of which is, again, to make money available in order to generate employment. We have established the new economic and recovery authority under which the semi-State agencies will operate because they have a key role in the development of employment and the encouragement of investment. I expect that the Budget Statements next week will reflect the top priority which this Government is giving to getting people back to work and to generating employment.

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