Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We spoke earlier about the mess the Government inherited when it came into power. I accept that an appalling mess had been created over the previous 13 or 14 years. Nobody would deny that. When they came into power, Government representatives liked to talk about jobs, jobs and more jobs. Since then, we have had many launches and relaunches but things have not really improved on the ground. My constituency of Laois-Offaly seems to have been completely forgotten about. IDA Ireland's record in the area is absolutely disgraceful. There were two visits by IDA Ireland-sponsored companies to County Laois in 2011. Last year, there were no IDA Ireland-backed visits to the county even though IDA Ireland facilities are lying empty throughout the county. County Offaly has not fared much better. It received one visit in each of 2011 and 2012.

Unemployment in counties Laois and Offaly has increased since the Government came into power. I wish I could stand here and say otherwise, but I have to set out the facts exactly as they are. When the Government took office, some 8,546 people were unemployed in County Laois. That number has since increased to 8,858. Over the same period, the number of unemployed people in County Offaly has increased from 9,234 to 9,270. They are the facts of the Government's record. The Government's job creation plans appear to be in tatters. I do not know whether its promises have been abandoned. The figures show that the dole queues in towns like Portlaoise, Portarlington, Rathdowney, Birr, Tullamore and Edenderry are expanding, unfortunately, even at a time of mass emigration.

It is obvious from Deputy Mulherin's comments that she has not read Sinn Féin's job creation proposals. She came in to make a false accusation before running out of the Chamber. It is a pity she did not stay for the rest of the debate. The same thing applies to Deputy Lawlor. I would like to highlight three areas of the four-year stimulus package we have proposed. The fund that would be put in place as part of this proposal would have the potential to create up to 150,000 long-term and short-term jobs.

Our proposal to re-establish the sugar beet industry, which was closed under the previous Fianna Fáil-led Government, would be of particular benefit to the midlands and the south east. The demise of the sugar industry had a negative impact on both regions. Over 350 farmers in County Laois alone were affected by it. Contractors and seasonal factory workers are jobless as a result of the closure of the industry. The site of the original factory on the Laois-Carlow border is derelict. We are proposing that a factory be re-established. The location in question, right on the edge of County Laois, is ideal as it would serve the midlands and the south east. We hope the Government will support our proposal, which involves the development of a bioethanol industry alongside this sugar processing facility and has the potential to create up to 5,000 jobs.

We are also calling for money to be invested in water infrastructure. The Government is proposing to take money out of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and put it into meters. A comparison between the figures for Wales and the figures for Dublin will demonstrate why this approach will fail to save any water. Meters do not save water. One can save water by fixing the leaks in the system. The problem is that the Government's proposal will create some short-term jobs, but it will not save money in the long term because the leaks will continue. Sinn Féin's more sustainable approach, whereby this money is used to fix the leaks, will lead to a better return in the medium and long terms.

We are also asking the national private pension industry to invest €3 billion in retrofitting. This green economy approach would pay back a dividend. The potential exists to retrofit 500,000 homes. It is estimated that this would bring a return of €748 million per annum. When one considers that this would amount to almost €7.5 billion over ten years, it is clear that a great deal of money is involved. Money would also come back in again from that.

We believe the potential that exists in the wind industry must be harnessed in conjunction with local people. It would be preferable if the industry were owned by co-operatives or semi-State bodies, rather than foreign multinationals that would like to export cheap electricity from this country while we continue to import costly fossil fuels to fuel our homes. Rather than allowing these companies to export wind energy cheaply to England, we want it to be done the other way around. If we have surplus electricity, it will not be a problem if it is exported to England, Scotland, Wales or anybody else who will take it.

I ask the Government to consider the three positive proposals I have made. I believe we should always make positive proposals. Some of those on the Government benches who have spoken this evening have ranted. They should not do that. They should examine what we are actually saying. Much of the media ignored what we said when we launched our document last autumn. We are not making these proposals to score points off anybody. We are making an honest attempt to highlight some areas in which jobs can be created. We urge the Government to give serious consideration to our proposals. We did not pluck them out of the sky. We have examined best practice in Europe and across the globe. We have studied the ideas that have worked in other economies. We ask the Government to give them serious consideration.

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