Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

The issues of job creation and unemployment are close to everyone's hearts with the country suffering huge job losses over the past two years. County Donegal has always had a massive unemployment level, often double the national average and in some areas even three and four times it. It is an issue that never went away in Donegal, now made worse by the economic downturn and the Government's lack of a job creation strategy.

In Donegal, over 21,000 are out of work of whom 5,000 are under 25 years. It is heartbreaking to see the statistics of young males under 25 who make up a large proportion of that figure. Some have given up hope of finding employment and are emigrating, leaving our fine shores in search of brighter prospects elsewhere.

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation must ensure towns in south Donegal, in particular, are targeted by IDA Ireland as sites for overseas development and investment. Donegal town, Bundoran and Ballyshannon need particular investment as they have been badly hit by unemployment.

In the past several years I have put in parliamentary questions through my party's Dáil colleagues seeking information as to what the Government has done for job creation in Donegal. We all believed matters would have got better with Deputy Mary Coughlan being appointed Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The facts, however, I uncovered from the replies to my parliamentary questions are startling. In 2003, 1,740 designed itineraries were hosted by the Tánaiste and IDA Ireland at different sites throughout the Twenty-six Counties but only a handful were held in south-west Donegal. There was one visit to Ballyshannon in 2004 and one to Donegal town in 2005. Why have there not been other visits to these towns since then?

While I accept we are in difficult economic times, from 2005 to 2007 the outlook was not as gloomy with giveaway budgets but no visits to IDA itineraries were held in Ballyshannon, Bundoran or Donegal town. It is very clear from my reading that the Government has given up on inward investment in these towns where we have seen many job losses.

I welcome the fact that, eventually, we will see new jobs being created Donegal town in the form of the 75 jobs confirmed at Abbott. However, we are acutely aware that these jobs were promised in August 2005 when the company shed 560 jobs. We are playing catch-up and have had to wait five years to begin to do so. We need an energetic, ruthless and targeted investment programme from the IDA, supported by the Government, to show the international companies of the world that Donegal town, Bundoran and Ballyshannon have much to offer. They have the parts, sites, skills, people, attractions and the potential to generate income and profits for such companies, if only we could include them in their portfolios.

I hope to receive a positive response from the Minister of State. It is clear, no matter on what side of the argument we come down, that we all need to work together. The towns to which I have referred need support not only from politicians, but also from the Government and job creation agencies. They will also need inward investment if we can attract it to them.