Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

The situation in the south east is bad, but it is even worse in County Wexford. The creation of 51 jobs out of 14,000 means that, compared with the national average, matters have worsened in the past year. Almost 20,000 people are on the live register in Wexford and it is one of the country's worst unemployment spots.

Two factors help people to get out of difficult circumstances, those being, jobs and education. We are lagging behind dramatically in both respects. This has led to significant social problems. We have some of the highest illiteracy, teenage pregnancy and suicide rates. We have no third level college. The recent cuts in special needs assistants, SNAs, have had a dramatic effect in Wexford, probably more so than in most counties. Cuts to resource teaching for Travellers and to language support teaching have had considerable effects on primary schools. Gorey community school, the largest school in the country, has lost three guidance teachers.

The situation is going downhill. What active decisions can the Government take to reverse this trend? Traditionally, places with poor land were poor. The land in Wexford is good, but 50% more Wexford people were working outside the county than in it in 2007. For some strange reason, few jobs have gone to Wexford in the past 20 years.

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