Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, a constituency colleague, to the House. His current portfolio is important not only for our constituency but the country, especially given his new role as Minister with responsibility for innovation, on which I am sure he is reflecting deeply as he begins work on his new brief. Innovation must be at the core of industrial development and economic policy. Senator White, prior to outlining how she arrived in the Fianna Fáil Party, mentioned Ireland's need to continue as a trading nation. For us to succeed economically, create jobs and encourage inward investment, we must live with the simple rules of a trading nation at the core of our economic policy. If companies cannot buy and sell at a competitive rate domestically and internationally, they will not succeed.

The issue of competitiveness is one of the challenges facing us. The Minister of State and other speakers addressed it but we must be reasonably concerned that our competitiveness is not what it was over the past ten years and what it must be over the next few years because the challenges the Government faces to secure inward investment at the level required are significant. Senator White mentioned competition from India but Poland, Belgium, China and Far Eastern countries are also becoming more competitive. Ireland also faces strong challenges from the industrial development agencies in Wales and Scotland. We can be proud of what was achieved over the past 25 years but, in one sense, the cost of our success is that others are not only copying the Irish example but, in some instances, improving on it. The bar, which was raised by Ireland, is being further raised and we must improve our standards accordingly.

The Minister of State outlined interesting statistics in his contribution. As Senator Ross stated, 150,000 people are employed by companies that set up in Ireland through foreign direct investment and it must be ensured that investment increases. Prior to the Celtic tiger era, the first political movement to actively secure foreign investment in domestic industry occurred during the Lemass era. Policy changes were made such as the introduction of free education, giving everybody the opportunity to achieve a high level of qualification and, in 1973, Ireland entered the European Economic Community. That political background led to the changed economic environment of the late 1980s and the subsequent Celtic tiger boom.

However, we cannot rest on our laurels. The political, educational and economic formula that led to an improved economy must be enhanced. From an educational perspective, the development of regional technical colleges or institutes of technology was useful but our ambition must to be to ensure every second level student completes third level. In other words, third level must be the new second level. The number of third level courses available has greatly increased but it was disconcerting to hear Senators from Donegal outline how 25% of second level students in the county drop out annually. The statistics are not as bad in the rest of State but our aim must be to ensure second level students also complete third level courses. While that is a debate for another day, it must be borne in mind.

Ireland's relationship with the European Union has been hugely important and successful and the Government must continue to build on that. A debate on the new treaty and Ireland's further engagement with the European political process is under way in another forum, but we must continue on that path.

On infrastructural development, Senator White referred to the importance of completing the national development plan and said we should not have to debate the completion of the broadband network because that should happen immediately. Broadband is of major importance to peripheral regions and smaller towns and villages which do not have access currently. The progress on road and rail transport is welcome but new roads are not being built quickly enough. I acknowledge the substantive improvement made in this regard but the lack of progress on a number of significant projects in the road network is disappointing. As the Minister of State will be aware, the roads between Mallow and Mitchelstown and Mallow and Fermoy are very important economically in our constituency but they are seriously underdeveloped and significant investment in them is required immediately to improve the economic prospects of those towns.

The Minister of State referred to the national spatial strategy and hub towns. Mallow is a hub town and we expected significant infrastructural investment in the town. A decentralisation project was promised for both Mallow and Mitchelstown but neither has been undertaken. I hope the Government will move mountains to bring the projects to fruition. Many people have lost their jobs in Mitchelstown, Mallow and Fermoy in recent times and north Cork experienced great disappointment recently when a major industrial project being undertaken by Amgen, which had been announced for the Minister of State's home town of Carrigtwohill, was at best deferred. These challenges face us locally in Cork East and every Senator could quote his or her constituency's statistics. While the economy has improved dramatically and we can be very proud of our economic success, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must keep moving forward on policy, politically and economically.

The creation of an innovation section in the Minister of State's Department is a positive step forward. It is to be hoped that when Oireachtas committees are set up over the next few weeks, they will focus strongly on industrial development and policy. All political parties, domestically and internationally, must acknowledge that the great ideological debates have concluded and anyone who pretends otherwise is only fooling himself or herself. There is only one way to run a country successfully, to create jobs and increase the amount of money for social spending on the less well-off members of society, and that is by promoting and supporting industry and commerce and introducing policies that make job creation possible.

I wish the Minister of State well in his endeavours. I wholeheartedly congratulate all involved in the IDA — including those, such as Padraic White, who have worked there in the past — for all they have done for the State. IDA personnel are patriots with a capital "p". Without waving any flags or promoting themselves individually, their work has changed people's lives. I wish them well, especially the new chairman, in their ongoing efforts.

I hope the Minister of State will reflect on what I have said, particularly in regard to our own areas in north and east Cork where the jobs crisis requires assistance from the Government.