Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett seems to be under the assumption that only financial corporate giants have the opportunity to engage with the Government. It is far from that. They have to deal with the full spectrum of society. I make no apology where 30,000 people are employed - men and women, some of whom are from the Deputy’s constituency - that they should have the opportunity to assess the environment for that business. Is there anything wrong in improving the atmosphere and the environment for a sector in which we might have 40,000 or 50,000 employed? Last week I visited a financial institution in the Dublin docklands, which is going to quadruple the number of its employees from 60 to over 200 in the next few years. I recently visited a data content storage facility in Blanchardstown, where the same will happen. Reports indicate that industry will grow by 15% to 17% in the next five years. The people employed in that sector can be from anyone’s constituency. Is there anything wrong with providing the opportunity for employment? I make no apology for being an assistant in creating a clearing house environment in which these sectors can thrive and prosper.

When I have the opportunity to engage with other leaders at European level, they tell me that they look at Ireland as listening and wanting to make decisions, despite the difficult economic circumstances, that will help the people to have employment and careers. That is good practice. The Government should operate as a clearing house for the people and give them the opportunity to change the environment in order that employment can be created. It is not a case of throwing sand in the eyes of anybody. It is a case of opening doors where everyone, from a single person to a company or a corporation, is entitled to tell the Government it has a suggestion that might improve the position on employment. We are not going anywhere unless we create employment, grow the economy, provide confidence for the people and give them a chance to stay at home, if that is what they want to do.

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