Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)

With respect to the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, and the Minister, Deputy Bruton, the reply is a repeat of one I received from the Minister, Deputy Bruton, last November. The reply contains much rhetoric and gobbledygook and is repetitive of one I received six months ago. In the south-west region we are the poor relations in terms of employment and the attraction of viable jobs into this country. We are being totally overlooked.

This morning it was welcome to hear the announcement of a significant number of jobs in Dún Laoghaire. I would be the first person to compliment the Government on the efforts it is making. We have heard a plethora of announcements in the past 12 months. Excellent efforts are being made. The Government is striving to attract foreign direct investment and also supporting local businesses as much as possible but on a geographic level we are being treated in a reckless manner. I will be honest about it. It is not just this Government but successive Governments have allowed Kerry to become an industrial wasteland, which is currently epitomised by the vacant Pretty Polly plant in Killarney in recent years. Absolutely nothing is happening there although the premises was given to the State for free. It is also epitomised at the moment by the Aetna company premises in Castleisland which has been vacant since last December when the final lot of employees vacated the premises. The company has relocated its financial services operations to Asia. Its premises was also to be given to the State. A senior executive of the Aetna company assured me 12 months ago that it would, at the time of the announcement of the closure when I asked him whether the plant would be donated to the State in a similar way as the Pretty Polly plant. He said it would be also available to another employer. The situation was in the affirmative at that particular time.

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