Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I point out that we have some success stories in Kerry, namely, Liebherr, which is a crane manufacturing facility in Killarney and a huge employer in Kerry, and Fexco, which is a fantastic success story, as is the Kerry Group. We also have opportunities to expand our tourism industry, particularly into the winter months. In addition, the Shannon LNG project would provide a huge number of jobs if it actually got the go-ahead. I ask again that this project get every possible support from Government to ensure it becomes a reality. I know my colleague, Councillor Jim Finucane, has been a huge advocate of this project on Kerry County Council. I would like to see every effort made in this regard.

There is a huge plant in Killarney sitting empty, the old Pretty Polly plant, in which there is the potential to create jobs. I know Killarney Town Council is working on this and I ask that the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation would liaise with the town council to see what can be done in this regard. It would be a good idea if both the Minister, Deputy Bruton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, visited Kerry to see the good, the bad and the opportunities. They should see the old plants such as the Aetna plant and the Amann plant which have been closed, as well as those which are working well such as Liebherr and Fexco, and also see the potential of the Shannon LNG project and the Pretty Polly plant. That would certainly be a good start and I would like to see it happen.

I take this opportunity to call for a debate in this Chamber before the budget where Deputies from all sides of the House would be given an opportunity to give their proposals and ideas on job creation throughout the country. We need to do more than what is being done at present, with 450,000 people on the live register and so many thousands more abroad who want to come home. Every idea, no matter how ridiculous it may sound in the beginning, needs to be considered in the context of the forthcoming budget to try to bring those people who are abroad home and to try give those who are on the live register at present some hope and an opportunity to reach their full potential in this country.

See this speech in context