Shane Ross (Independent)

I join with the calls for a debate on competitiveness or some allied subject. We cannot sit back and see these job losses occur throughout the economy and suggest that they are localised. This has developed into a trend. I cannot list off all the job losses, but there have been losses at Pfizer, Thomson Scientific and Procter & Gamble and others which have occurred in recent weeks. Different explanations are given for them by the IDA. Some say that there are different types of job substituting for it and that these types of high-level jobs are going to go. The reality is that a serious problem exists, part of which is the fact that there is cheaper labour in eastern Europe. The Irish economy and the Government must respond to that threat if the days of the Celtic tiger are to survive.

It is absurd for us to weep tears in here — I will not call them crocodile tears — for specific situations when we are not going to address the big picture. Part of this picture has been addressed by Senators Norris, Mansergh and Brian Hayes, namely, the 12.5% rate of corporation tax. It is important for us to have a specific debate on this issue.