Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Anyway, that is the case and that decision has been made.

4 o’clock

I received a letter from Mr. Quigley, the regional officer of the Unite Union, today to which I have replied. We will work hard together. It is unfair for the Deputy to say we are not doing anything. We have started the implementation of the regional action plans for jobs and they are working. The number unemployed is decreasing but I accept we cannot be complacent. There is a good deal of work still to be done. We are working with industry in the region, with the local authorities, the local enterprise offices, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA and we will continue to do that. I have met the Deputy at many of the functions held in counties Longford and Westmeath and I assure him that my focus is to deliver jobs in rural and regional Ireland.

See this speech in context