Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I do not want to be distracted but in introducing this Bill on budget day it is as if the Minister is trying to bring in something under radar.

The National Competitiveness Council advises that Irish prices rose 22% more than those in other EU countries in the years 1999 to 2003. Ireland is ranked 20th in the World Economic Forum's Global Information Technology Report that measures the technological readiness of countries. We are behind our major trading partners such as the US, the UK and other EU counties such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Austria. Let us not forget that in February 2006 because of the failure of Government to properly deregulate the electricity market, Airtricity announced that it was pulling out of the Irish market.

I urge the enactment of this legislation before the end of the year to facilitate the transfer of staff from Shannon to Enterprise Ireland, as the Minister outlined. At the same time responsibility for indigenous industry support functions will transfer from Shannon Development to Enterprise Ireland on 1 January.

We support and welcome this Bill. The legislative provisions are based on numerous precedents for transferring staff between public bodies and I welcome that a statutory guarantee has been provided that there will be no diminution in the pay or service conditions of Shannon Development staff when they transfer to Forfás. I hope the Bill will be enacted quickly. I also hope the mistakes by the Government on Shannon Development will be rectified giving the IDA a proper job creation role in the mid west to give a boost to the economy in this fine region. Shannon Airport, located in the middle of the region, is an engine for growing jobs there. I hope Shannon Development will be successful in the near future. I wish the Bill a speedy passage.