Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

Yesterday I used my time well because the House was not sitting, through no fault of mine. I visited a manufacturing facility in Athlone where the workforce has reduced from 193 to 143. Staff sometimes work three days a week but company management is doing everything in its power to retain jobs. It is important to the managing director to keep jobs. Each lost job costs the Exchequer €20,000 a year. He spoke about the frustration he experiences because nobody is listening to people such as him on the ground. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment should meet these people to find out what are the issues.

The most significant issue faced by the managing director of the facility I visited is energy costs. He depends entirely on the ESB for surges in power at various times during the day. He said nobody is listening and he is totally and utterly frustrated by county enterprise boards. Every proposal must be supported by a consultant before it is entertained. Why does this company need to retain a consultant when it has been in business for 30 years? Will the Leader investigate the exorbitant spending on consultants by State bodies and the issue of energy prices, which is costing jobs? A total of 371,000 people are unemployed and this number will escalate. There is no point in crying when the milk is spilt. Let us try to save existing jobs.

I raised the issue of cystic fibrosis recently. We lost a dear young man in Westmeath, aged 15, from this disease. On the day of his funeral, I was assured in the House by the Minister for Health and Children, who, unfortunately, is still in office, that an isolation facility would be provided for CF sufferers so that those who have this disease would not have to sit in a waiting room full of people with infections. The recent announcement makes absolutely no sense. There is no point in the Leader nodding. I feel strongly about this.