Dan Boyle (Green Party)

The Leader will respond to the questions that have been raised by the leaders of the other groups. I wish to raise an issue that follows on from yesterday's Order of Business. A number of Members asked that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment come to the house to speak about employment in Donegal. In light of the indefinite postponement of the opening of the Amgen facility in Carrigtwohill, County Cork, we should take the opportunity to discuss the wider issue for a number of reasons. First, this announcement is obviously disappointing and the Minister will have an opportunity to talk about the confidence of IDA Ireland that a replacement industry can be found.

If the Minister comes to the House, I wish to ask him about the manner in which job announcements are made. Historically, all Governments have made announcements regarding the creation of jobs three or four years into the future once a company is up and running. This originated at a time of high unemployment to create expectations and hope. This is no longer necessary and it is unfair on local communities. Job announcements should be limited to jobs that are already in place and are paid from day one. Everyone in the political process should examine ways in which these announcements can be better made in the future.