Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

The reason for this motion is so simple that it is self-explanatory. The Minister gave the reason himself when he replied that, the best way to exhort investors to put money into the country and set up factories and so on outside Dublin was to lead by example. That is precisely what the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, and the Government have done. It was a reforming and absolutely visionary decision. To my colleague across the Chamber, Senator Bannon, I say that it is timely that this motion has been tabled, since the decision has now been taken by the Government, and it is now time for the private sector to honour its side of the bargain, since we have kept ours. Members on the other side said that it would not happen. Perhaps they hope it will not happen, but they will be disappointed. Regarding people not being happy, I do not know which poll results Senator Bannon was examining, but they must be different from those that I saw.

The decision to locate staff, for example, in my own town of Mullingar, as well as Athlone, was timely. We in Mullingar and Westmeath have no Minister. We have three very active Oireachtas Members, Senator O'Rourke, Deputy Cassidy and myself, and I suppose that, no more than other Members of both Houses, we spent a great deal of our time — I certainly did — lobbying the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, on this decision. I make no apologies to anyone for that.