Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

The antics of the Minister of State last year were deplorable and gave politics a bad name. I am glad he was not rewarded in the local elections because politics was given a bad name. I am glad that my friends in the Luggacuran area, Councillors Moran and Daly, came first and second in the poll. For all of us, that sent out a good signal that these gimmicky antics will get us nowhere and will damage politics in general. The public already has a low opinion about politics without us deliberately doing anything to make the situation worse. I am glad that in most of the towns promised Government Departments under decentralisation, Fianna Fáil lost seats. It did not get the reward it thought it would get. The sham was exposed.

I was bemused while listening to Senator Dooley talk about jobs for the regions. The Government's record in that area is atrocious. Even in Carlow we have 900 IDA-supported jobs, 700 of which date back to the early 1970s. We have had no new jobs in that area. The situation has been atrocious. The record is worse in Kilkenny and other parts of the country. I would hate to go to the west of Ireland as I imagine the situation is even worse there.