Mary White (Fianna Fail)

Yesterday morning I was coming to Leinster House via a different route and at a different hour from usual. I was coming through Dún Laoghaire at 9 a.m. and saw a queue along the main street. I asked why it was there at that hour and when I proceeded further I noticed it was a queue for the social welfare office. People in Dún Laoghaire were queuing up for the dole. This really struck home given that they were queuing in an economically well-off area.

As a politician, I am an action woman. I do not just philosophise but get up and do things. I want to talk this morning about action. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment should address urgently the issue of prompt payment to companies. Cash flow and credit are the lifeblood of companies and when the cash flow is cut off from companies, they die and people lose their jobs. I am here as a politician. I was nominated by the Irish Exporters Association because of my co-creation with Connie Doody of a company that now employs 200 people in Navan.