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

I take the Deputy's point but I am going by the figures I have. The published regional action plan jobs target for the south east is 25,000. A total of 13,000 jobs have been created in the area. The plan is working and the south east is probably one of the better regions. I realise that we still have a long way to go. I was down there and met the implementation group and its chairman on numerous occasions. We are working our way through it and I am sure the chairman would be delighted to meet Deputy Wallace. There is a skills forum. Someone asked me a question here earlier this evening. An assessment of skills is taking place. The construction sector was really hit hard. Many people in Waterford and probably Wexford worked in Waterford Crystal and traditional industries that are no longer there so we must look at it and make sure people are trained so that they are available for new opportunities in the area.

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