Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the moving of the writ for the by-election in Carlow-Kilkenny arising from Mr. Phil Hogan's appointment to the European Commission. As his constituency colleague, I thank Commissioner Hogan for his work in the area for many years. He is continuing this with his work in Brussels in the agricultural portfolio. This is an important issue for Ireland and he has all our support in this new project. In my capacity as Minister of State with responsibility for rural economic generation, I visited Commissioner Hogan in January in Brussels and we agreed that Leader funding, which is very important to the rural affairs portfolio, could be used to draw down extra EU investment at a very low interest rate for projects and small and medium enterprises in rural areas.

The Labour Party looks forward to this by-election in Carlow-Kilkenny on 22 May. We have a proud record of representation for the people of the constituency, particularly in my county of Kilkenny, where I am honoured to continue that tradition. I follow in the footsteps of people like Mr. Séamus Pattison, who served in Dáil Éireann for over 40 years, from 1961 to 2007. In that time, he made a significant contribution to Kilkenny, the Labour Party and the Irish nation. I continue that tradition of hard-working, responsible public representation. After the election, I hope to be joined in Dáil Éireann by my colleague, Councillor William Quinn. He is also a very hard-working public representative for south Carlow. He is based in Borris and as a small farmer, he is fully aware of the challenges faced by rural communities.

We will work hard over the next three and a half weeks to deliver a fresh voice for Carlow in the House. During the campaign, we will also speak to people about the economic progress the Government has made since taking office, as demonstrated by the spring economic statement. That we can now speak of growth, falling unemployment and having money to spend in budget 2016 demonstrates the distance we have come on this journey. While people had to make sacrifices to reach this point and must face legacy issues, including additional charges, the broader prospects for the economy are extremely positive.

We are determined to focus our efforts on providing further supports and whatever reliefs are available for working families who suffered most during the downturn. This will be the central message to people across counties Carlow and Kilkenny during the forthcoming campaign. We need to secure the recovery across the constituency, which has been through difficult times. There are signs that the position is improving. Recent job announcements and a major investment by Glanbia will help the local economy. Merck Sharp & Dohme is located in Carlow, we have growth in tourism and the Government has made significant investments across the constituency, all of which will deliver dividends.

The challenge facing us is to deliver more business and employment to the area. I am confident that by having another Labour Party voice in the Dáil, we could achieve more for people in the constituency and deliver a better future. I wish my colleague, Councillor William Quinn, the best of luck.

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