Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I will kick a ball but then I will leave, as Senator McHugh will know.

The period since 1997 has been one of extraordinary change in Ireland's economic fortunes. The growth in national income has been at a record rate for the longest period in the history of the State. This has allowed for growth in personal incomes, in employment and in the general standard of living. It has provided for the investment in our future that continues to be crucial for our economic and social development. Over that time, many of the traditional economic indicators changed out of all recognition. Employment grew rapidly and unemployment fell to record lows. Immigration halted and actually reversed as new opportunities were created in our economy for emigrants who had left during leaner times. National income per head grew to such an extent that we are now one of the wealthier countries in Europe instead of previous classification amongst the poorest.

The improvement in our economic fortunes has allowed many of the fundamental problems of Irish society to be addressed. The benefits of this economic growth were felt right across our society and economy. While we need to continue to address some of these at the same time as new challenges are being identified, the record from the past few years should give us confidence that we can rise to the challenge.

The fall in unemployment and in long-term unemployment has shown the most dramatic change in our fortunes. Unemployment fell from 10.25% in 1997 to 4.25% in the second quarter of this year. The level of long-term unemployment has fallen by 1.25% compared with a figure of over 5.5% in 1997. However, the Government has not simply relied on the fall in the level of unemployment to make an improvement in the well-being of those on lower incomes which we have combined with real improvements in social welfare spending and the delivery of social welfare services.

The development and implementation of the national anti-poverty strategy by the Government have allowed for a coherent and focused approach to poverty and social inclusion. There is clear evidence that this has provided tangible results in terms of the reduction in poverty and the improvement in the quality of life experienced by the most disadvantaged groups in society.