Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party)

I agree with the approach taken by Senator Quinn and disagree with the somewhat Stalinist approach purported by the Fine Gael Party, which surprises me. I have seen its NewERA document which seems to be lifted from the Green Party manifesto of previous years. The NewERA document does not contain much that is not also in the Smart Economy document. The Government is putting forward many suggestions on creating the right environment for jobs.

Everybody in the House seems to agree that green energy in particular is a way this country can gain a huge amount of extra wealth, particularly in the more rural parts of the country, but a proposal for renewable energy zones is being developed in Galway along the lines of what Senator Dearey has been involved with in Dundalk, which has been very successful. We must foster new entrepreneurial environments at a community level and if we have renewable energy zones underpinned by work with the local authority and the local agencies, it is a great opportunity not only for developing a certain level of renewable energy in those zones but also fostering entrepreneurial skill. That is what we must do. I agree with Senator Quinn that what we need to do is create a proper environment for entrepreneurs to do their job. We should get on with the business of politics and let the entrepreneurs do their job. We have to help them.