Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)

-----and asked whether money was available for projects concerning investment in broadband development. This State has the 25th fastest broadband speed out of 27 states in Europe. I asked if it would be possible for this country to draw down 50% of that investment at 1%.

It said it would and that it would be interested in discussing it with me. I had to explain to it that I was not a Government Deputy and was in opposition, and consequently did not have the authority to discuss it. It said it was awaiting a call from the Government on the issue.

There are major funds in private pension companies and these companies could be incentivised to invest in retrofitting and broadband development and infrastructure, yet the Government has no proposal in this regard. Job creation and growth should be at the centre of our EU policy but they are not. We recognise such an approach would require leadership and courage but these obviously do not exist on the Government benches.

The Government parties should return at least to the platform on which they were elected. They should undo their mistakes of the past year and bring forward a Bill that actually means business on jobs, and which does not just comprise soundbites and confusion from the Government Deputies. We would welcome the support of such a Bill. Unfortunately, the Bill before us fails the people and the economy. It also fails the test set by its own author last year.

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