Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I have no personal relationship whatsoever with him.

I refer to two issues dear to my heart - business and the peace process. Our competitiveness has improved dramatically in the past few months because of the cutbacks in the public sector, etc. It is our responsibility, as politicians, to inspire hope in the people. We have the youngest population in Europe with one in three aged under 25 years and the highest proportion of graduates in the 25-34 year age group in the European Union. Exports have increased by 7% and Ireland's stock of inward investment is five times greater than the OECD average. Surely a Fianna Fáil Government which supports 1,000 multinational companies in Ireland, including IBM, Google, eBay, Facebook, Intel and Microsoft, has given the right signals internationally to encourage other blue chip multinationals to invest here. I commend Albert Reynolds and Deputy Bertie Ahern on their tremendous achievement in bringing peace to the island.

The three good reasons I have asked Senator Feeney to share time are I wish to express support for the Taoiseach in leading us into the general election, highlight the need to improve competitiveness and the stability engendered by the Government to send a message around the world that Ireland is a place in which to do business and point to the peace process in Northern Ireland. I thank the Senator for allowing me two minutes in the sun.