Aideen Hayden (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd. We have seen him a lot recently and it is a pleasure to have him back again with us.

My colleagues have set out well the purposes behind the motion and the real problems faced by the workers in TalkTalk, as well as by workers in other parts of the country who have also been faced with similar closures. However, behind the motion is a serious issue relating to the position in the south east, in particular, as a region. Senator Cullinane has mentioned some of the issues involved. Traditionally, the south east has not been seen as a particularly poor area. Historically, it has been associated with the glass industry, iron foundry and prosperous agricultural businesses. However, these industries have been in decline. Almost without a trace the south-eastern region has sank during the governance not only of the current Government but of previous ones.

It is not widely known, for example, that Wexford is the second poorest county in the country. This leads to additional issues for the workers of TalkTalk and others in the south-east region. It behoves the Government to go over and above for the people of the region because of the circumstances they are facing.

Aside from the issue of poverty which needs to be emphasised, there has been a failure of regional policy as reflected in the south east.