Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will try to stay away from the statistics, because we can all get a bit bogged down in them, although there are a number of critical statistics that we need to look at. I was a bit shocked by what the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said earlier when he denied that a two-tier recovery is taking place. It is very strange to hear him come into the House and utter that denial when we know that in the very recent past the Department of Finance made a submission to the Low Pay Commission effectively acknowledging and accepting that, in fact, a two-tier recovery is taking place.

Thanks be to God there is a recovery - we will acknowledge that and we want to see that recovery expanded and consolidated. I accept the political charge that is made that not every political party would have the same commitment to the achievement of full employment once again. However, we have to deal with facts. There is no point in either deluding ourselves or deluding the public about the progress that is being made.

When we talk about a two-tier recovery, we see clearly, as Deputy Coppinger pointed out, what is happening in the Dublin area. However, while this substantial growth happening in the capital is welcome, it is growth that is not being experienced by the rest of the country. Even when we look at the growth that is happening in the capital, we have to look at the type of growth that is taking place and we have to ask ourselves what percentage of the new jobs that are being created are part-time jobs or jobs in low-paid employment.

Against that background, we have to consider the dispute in Dunnes Stores. We have to ask ourselves what sort of country we are living in when the country's leading retailer, for which the people of the country have a lot of regard and respect, employs many people on the type of contract that creates an environment for them in which not alone can they not get a mortgage, but they cannot even enter into a sustainable long-term rental agreement.

A number of Members recently held meetings with the group of unions representing Bord na Móna. They made it quite clear to us that within that profit-making semi-State company, moves would appear to be under way to change terms and contracts of employment and the rates of pay for people employed by the company. It is clear that the company has been emboldened by the sort of environment in which we are living, where it seems to be quite possible to drive down wages and disimprove the terms and conditions of employees. That is something I, for one, would never support.

Understandably, I spent a lot of time over the past couple of weeks in Carlow-Kilkenny, as I am sure the Minister of State has, and one need only knock on the doors to find out from people that they are in the second tier and have yet to feel there is any real sense of recovery, additional cash in their pockets or jobs of which they or their family members can avail. Last evening, we met community groups and representatives of business interests with our candidate, Bobby Aylward. One of the issues raised was the lack of IDA Ireland visits to Carlow-Kilkenny. The record of IDA Ireland in terms of visits to the constituency is rather poor.

I read the statistics on my county, Kildare, and noted that in each of the past three years there has been only one IDA Ireland visit. I find that quite shocking.

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