Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for coming to Waterford last Monday. My city has by far the highest employment rate in the country, almost 20% at this point in time. The south east has an unemployment rate of 17.9%, again the highest in the State. Since November 2007 I estimate 3,100 headline job losses have occurred in companies in Waterford in companies such as Cappoquin Chickens, GlaxoSmithKline, Waterford Crystal, Kingspan Century, Honeywell, ABB Transformers, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Baush & Lomb and, most recently, 575 jobs in TalkTalk. It is a litany I am not proud to speak about. There are more I have missed out on. The figure includes hundreds of construction workers who are out of work and the large number of small businesses and retail units that have closed as a result of those job losses.

The situation at TalkTalk is deplorable and there is no question about it. The actions of the company and the manner in which it treated its excellent skilled staff is a disgrace. I hope the Government will take steps to ensure this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in future from any company. The Minister was correct to say IDA Ireland in Waterford bears no responsibility for the loss of jobs in TalkTalk. Responsibility rests totally with the company itself. However, there is a need for the decision makers, including people with clout from IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, to be based in Waterford.

Since 1996 when IDA Ireland reduced its number of regional headquarters from eight to four, Waterford and the south east has suffered badly. As mayor of Waterford in 1996 I lobbied the Minister strongly to prevent this so-called rationalisation. At the time I feared there would be severe repercussions for the future of my region and city. The Minister gave assurances at that time which he honoured until he left office in 1997.

The 14 years of Fianna Fáil led Government has brought the region on to a standstill and stunted the effectiveness of State agencies in promoting and actively assisting companies to set up in our region. I welcome the Minister's announcement that he is conducting a report to be completed within weeks on the strengths, weaknesses and needs of our city and the region with a view to an action plan to address the problems and prioritise job creation in Waterford. We had a similar plan and report, entitled Strategy Waterford, in 2001 into which IDA Ireland also had a great input, but that was all talk and no action. I trust the Minister will act to restore Waterford as a strong and vibrant gateway city with opportunities for all our people. I accept the Government does not create jobs, but it must cut out the bureaucracy and obstacles and create an environment to attract jobs and protect and assist existing companies, especially in indigenous industries, to ensure they have a level playing field when it comes to job creation and are not placed at a disadvantage.

The workers at TalkTalk need to know their entitlements and opportunities for training and education. I hope the Department of Social Protection, FÁS and all other State agencies will be on site to give advice to each individual. These people are at their lowest ebb with worries about mortgages, how they will feed and educate their children and what the future will hold for them. One must go through this process to know exactly what the workers feel. I know as I went through that myself, and it is certainly not a pleasant place to be.

Innovation, research and development are the only show in town to kick-start our economy. Fast-tracking a technological university can be the catalyst to start the comeback for Waterford and the south east. A strong Waterford city is vital to the future well-being of workers south Tipperary, south Wexford and south Kilkenny in particular. The small-minded attitude of some in the region that a weaker Waterford would bring greater prosperity to other towns in the region has been shown to be a false message that has brought misery to workers in south Tipperary, south Wexford, south Kilkenny and, of course, Waterford city. I wish the Minister well and I hope he will be the bearer of good news on the jobs front for the people of Waterford in the short to medium term.