Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

As Deputy McDonald stated, the troika's review will make it clear that progress has been made. I expect that the review will directly address the issue of growth and its necessity for the economy. This Government has always made it clear that, in order to bring about recovery, we must get our budget situation under control, reduce the deficit and deal with the debt and considerable difficulties that we inherited from the previous Government. We must get our economy to grow.

This means two things. We must bring investment into the country. I am sure that the Deputy has read this morning's article by the IDA's chief executive in which he set out the progress the IDA has made in attracting additional jobs to the country in the past year. As soon as I leave the Chamber today, I will join him and the Taoiseach in my constituency at a plant where 100 new jobs and 350 additional construction jobs will be announced. This is evidence of the continuing attraction of jobs to Ireland.

In the chief executive's article, he made it clear that, in order for the attraction of jobs to continue, we need to pass the stability treaty, which Sinn Féin opposes. We must also get the domestic economy to grow. This Government is focused on the measures required to grow and stimulate our domestic economy and to create the jobs that are necessary to bring about recovery.

Deputy McDonald will be disappointed again because the script she pre-wrote this morning will not be followed. The troika's review will address the necessity of economic growth.

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