Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann:

—welcomes the very positive labour market figures and notes that the level of employment in Ireland is now at a record high level of almost 1.9 million;

—notes that Ireland continues to perform exceptionally well in comparison with our European partners with employment and labour force growth being ahead of the EU average by a factor of three or four and with one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the EU and being considerably lower than that in the larger European states;

—commends the Government for a continuing strong performance in employment terms with the number of jobs in Ireland growing by more than 1,000 per week;

—congratulates the Government on these very positive figures which clearly show that current Government policies are working extremely well and are further vindication of its economic strategy;

—maintains that the Government is well on its way to achieving its ambition to effectively eliminate long-term unemployment, which is continuing to fall;

—acknowledges the unprecedented commitment shown by the parties in Government since 1997 in tackling unemployment which has resulted in historic in-roads in reducing joblessness, particularly for people who have been without a job for a long time;

—urges the Government to continue with the thrust of this successful approach and to continue to bring forward policies specifically targeted at tackling unemployment and providing jobs, while recognising that continuing high priority must be given to those areas which have fallen behind the national employment average; and

—welcomes the measures in the most recent budget which will build on the Government's economic and social strategy of focusing on getting people back to work by investing in employment and education.

The employment level of 1.9 million is dramatic. It is a level that all parties sought to achieve when in Government but never thought they would achieve it. However, it was achieved in 2003.

I was previously a Minister of State at the then Department of Industry and Commerce with responsibility for exports. The major investment made in the 1960s by the then Government of Seán Lemass, which included Donagh O'Malley as Minister for Education, led to the creation of the economy we enjoy today. We have the best educated workforce in the world, produced by the best teachers and the best second and third level education system.

Ireland offers investors a stable, profitable English speaking base to service world markets. Over 1,000 overseas companies have made Ireland their location of choice. Ireland has positioned itself as an attractive location for inward investment companies seeking to locate within the European Union. There are many incentives in this regard and they include our corporate tax code, employment law and a strong corporate regulatory regime. Ireland's competitiveness is based not on tax benefits and costs alone, but on knowledge, innovation, flexibility and connectedness in how everything works together. Ireland has demonstrated the ability to adopt, and adapt to, changes in a unique way that connects innovation, knowledge, people and enterprise to meet the fast evolving demands of world markets.

Ireland's fostering of highly qualified professionals in technological skills is the key factor in the success with Intel, which is based in Leixlip in the Kildare North constituency where the by-election will be held on 11 March. The company employs 3,800 full-time employees and 1,200 long-term contractors, many of whom have technological qualifications. What a success story for the people of Kildare North as they go to the polls on 11 March to ensure the continuity of a quality Government that supports industry.