Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I have spoken privately to the Leader of the Seanad, Senator Maurice Cummins, about how anxious I and all my colleagues on this side of the House are to get the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, to come to the House. The most serious crisis in our country is the provision of jobs for the 450,000 people who are unemployed. I inquired last week about how we are going to get the increasing number of long-term unemployed engaged in jobs.

Two issues require the Minister's urgent attention. The first is cashflow to small businesses. Bank credit has plummeted from an annual expansion of approximately 30% in the boom years to zero in recent times. Cash and liquidity have dried up. The larger firms in particular are increasingly stretching out the number of days credit they expect from suppliers, especially SME companies. Many firms are caught up in the pincer movement as banks restrict or will not increase overdraft facilities. The net result is that many firms have collapsed or are in jeopardy.

The Minister seems to be basking in the glory of the increase in exports among multinational companies. With all due respect, that has nothing to do with Fine Gael or Labour. It was under the watch of Fianna Fáil that exports grew in indigenous and multinational companies. I want the Minister to come to the House. The jobs initiative makes a commitment that €20 billion of new lending would be available from AIB and Bank of Ireland in the next three years. The Minister will have to ensure the Department provides transparency and informs us as to whether this money is getting to small and medium-sized domestic companies.

The Fianna Fáil Members in the Dáil, through Deputy Willie O'Dea, are introducing a motion on Private Members' business tonight dealing with the decision of Mr. Justice Kevin Feeney in the High Court last week that JLCs are unconstitutional. My view about the attitudes of employers is not as cynical as that of Deputy O'Dea. I do not expect them to be rapacious in cutting back the wages of staff, particularly in lower-wage industries such as catering. However, I would like the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to come to the House and allay the fears of people in the sectors covered by the 13 JLCs by assuring them, bearing in mind last week's decision, that people's salaries will be maintained.