Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

In light of recent job losses, there is a worrying trend emerging in that most of the losses have occurred in the north-west, in the counties straddling the Border, including counties Fermanagh, Tyrone and Donegal. I ask the Leader to organise a debate on how – given that we have Senator Maurice Hayes as a representative from Northern Ireland – we can collectively use this House to come up with a comprehensive strategy on the creation of employment in Border areas which central government in both London and Dublin has failed, as was evident during the years of the Celtic tiger and remains so in these leaner years. Let us use the Border as an opportunity rather than a barrier.