Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I support the call for a debate on the issue of tourism, but I suggest that we extend it to include the issue of competitiveness in general. I do not want to anticipate such a debate, and I apologise for anticipating the Cathaoirleach, but it is extraordinary that headlines in newspapers always relate to prices and, in particular, wage costs. However, the most recent statement on competitiveness from the chief executive of Intel complained as much about our appalling infrastructure as it did about costs. The National Roads Authority this week admitted that it has ten projects of major road investment ready to roll, but it simply cannot commence work because the Government will not provide the necessary funding. We have an obligation to look beyond the traditional scapegoat of wage costs in assigning blame for our competitiveness problems and admit that the Government is the major cause of such problems.