Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Our competitiveness is being eroded. Ireland has been referred to as the builder and creator of jobs in the construction industry but what about Ireland the employer? It is stated day after day that the cost of doing business in this country is not being addressed. A Martian who landed in Ireland in 2005 and returned in 2010 would find it difficult to conceive the programme for Government and Government policies that have got us where we are today. Some 439,1000 of our fellow citizens are unemployed. One can blame Lehman Brothers and the euro but the bottom line according to the two reports on the banking sector was internal factors. Sadly, I lay the blame fundamentally and squarely at the door of former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, former Minister for Finance, Mr. McCreevy, and the ideology of the former Progressive Democrats. The biggest mistake made by Fianna Fáil was to pretend at Inchydoney that it was, like the emperor, adopting a new set of clothes and was going to be a socially caring Government. It did not do so and so let the people down.

When the Opposition parties promote ideas such as NewERA or any type of jobs creation policy a litany of Ministers appear on the plinth and elsewhere criticising them. Fine Gael has never been afraid of making the right decisions. We supported the initial bank recapitalisation schemes, made decisions in regard to the budget and put forward an alternative programme in terms of the budgetary situation in which we find ourselves. I would like to be a little parochial at this point. Senator Carty referred earlier to the capital programme of expenditure. There is a need to offer stimulus and hope for employment. The model for this is the eastern gateway bridge in Cork which would have kick started the docklands and created jobs. Linked to this is the development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh. I congratulate the Cork city councillors who voted for the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and supported the sale by Cumann Lúthchleas Gael of land in the show grounds for the creation of a new corridor in Cork. It is hoped we will have a new convention centre attached to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

One of the most important events that took place this year was the acceptance of the Croke Park agreement. My colleagues in the Labour Party opted to abstain from giving its opinion in this regard while the Government and Fine Gael were united in stating it should be accepted. It was difficult for the public sector workers to vote "Yes". As a public sector worker for many years, I congratulate and salute them for doing so because it was the right thing to do and it put Ireland, job creation and job retention first. I agree with SIPTU that the momentum behind the Croke Park agreement must be maintained. As stated by Senator Healy-Eames, public sector reform is necessary and must be followed through.

We need a more competitive Ireland. We should follow the best practice of other countries and ensure key infrastructural spending on energy, telecoms and water is put in place, thus creating jobs. A generation of Irish men and women require from Government the political leadership which sadly has been lacking. It is hoped that tonight we will see a relaunch of Ireland at work.