Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

I must acknowledge that on the Order of Business.

Regarding Senator Kelly's view of the Health Service Executive, we have requested the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House from time to time to discuss and deliberate on such matters.

Senator Leyden congratulated the Minister with responsibility for energy — remarks with which I want to be associated — on the 700 new contractors who will be engaged in the new energy saving schemes and on the €50 million that will invested in them. It will assist small contractors in particular to retain their one, two or three anchor people in employment, whether they be carpenters, plumbers or electricians, who have been loyal to them over the years and long may that continue.

This issue was raised previously by Senator Butler and it was pointed out that 94,000 inquiries have been made about these schemes. That shows there is a commitment to avail of the opportunity to apply for them. I hope the number who do so will increase.

Senator McFadden raised the issue of energy costs and I agree with her sentiments. However, I welcome the announcement of the €600 million interconnector project from Wales which will of major assistance to us here. It will result in a further reduction of 10% in energy costs within the next three years. On the day I took over as Leader of this House I said that reducing energy costs must be our challenge and that lack of competitiveness was our enemy. I am not satisfied with the reduction in energy costs of Bord Gáis or the ESB in terms of facilitating job creation. Any place that provides employment, whether it be a factory floor or a hotel, should receive the same reductions in energy costs as those that have been received by domestic users. Those suppliers are fooling us because they are not reducing energy costs in places of employment which facilitate job creation. I call on parties on all sides of the House to use their influence, including at the Fine Gael Ard-Fheis at the weekend, to highlight this issue concerning places of employment. The ESB and Bord Gáis are not playing their part.