Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not say there have not been positive actions by the Government, but they are not proportionate to the size of the problem. The Government has created one job for every 34 people unemployed.

The Minister of State speaks about competitiveness. There are major infrastructural gaps that necessitate investment. Such investment plans would increase the growth rate above 2% and would create the necessary proportionate level of growth to decrease unemployment significantly.

On 29 September 2011, a new strategic investment fund was announced with some fanfare. The legislation to establish that fund will not be published this term and the heads of the Bill have not been agreed. Given the immediate importance of the problem, is this not a shocking length of time to wait for legislation to create an average initiative such as this?

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