Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett should travel to Westport and ask the people there what they think about the decision of Alllergan Pharmaceuticals to invest €350 million in a new plant, with the associated construction jobs, as well as the opportunity to create several hundred more. He should visit the Shell site, where he would be very welcome, and consider the additional €800 million that will be invested in the project to build a tunnel under the bay that will employ 1,500 people and supply gas for the next 25 years. He should ask people there what they think about it.

As for the austerity programme, the way the Deputy goes on he would talk Hell out of its own fire. He would swear there was nothing happening in this country in respect of people wanting to create employment or having the opportunity to create it or to go out to work. The Deputy and his likes want things to be confined in the structures we have had for years but which must change to give young people freedom, liberty and the opportunity to have employment. He speaks about lower paid workers, but the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, has 23,000 employed in community employment schemes, with no reduction, as well as 1,400 supervisors. Moreover, this week the Government will launch the new document on pathways to work that will deal with those who are on the live register or in receipt of social assistance in offering new opportunities to engage in retraining to enter the world of work and pursue new careers. However, the Deputy rants on about austerity, austerity, austerity. He would not know a good day for this constituency if he saw one.

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