Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I want to ensure that Senators are aware of the meeting in question.

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate in this House about the non-cost elements of competitiveness. Too many people in this country, particularly economists, get away with examining the price of labour, goods or anything else and making judgments about competitiveness on that basis. A report published last year suggested that Dublin is the slowest city of the 12 cities assessed in which to make a business delivery. The proportion of freight carried by rail in Ireland is the lowest in any of ten countries. The report mentioned a succession of similar statistics, all of which are critical to competitiveness. There is a fixation with wage costs in this country, as if such costs are the cause of our competitiveness problems. Our competitiveness problems are far more wide-ranging than wage costs. I would like a debate in the House at some stage on all aspects of competitiveness other than wage costs. I ask the Leader to arrange for the appropriate Minister, if such a person exists, to come to the House when we have more time than usual. There may not be an appropriate Minister for such a debate, however, as we do not know who is responsible for anything anymore. Nobody is prepared to accept responsibility.