Aideen Hayden (Labour)

There are numerous reports suggesting robust regional development which are languishing on the shelves of every Minister. The previous Government, among others, scatter-gunned industrial development and regional Government offices around the country which led to the failure of regional policy. A robust policy could have prevented the outcome faced by the TalkTalk workers in Waterford. It was manifestly a failure on the IDA's part to engage in the spread of investment witnessed in the past decade and a half rather than attempting to develop clusters of excellence that would have had the capacity to withstand the closures about which we are talking. There are plenty of reports available that demonstrate internationally that clusters of excellence have a far better chance of withstanding such closures.

There is a skills capacity problem in the south east and has been for some time. The mid-west, for example, has three times the number of third level places available than the south-east region. Successive Governments have failed to develop a technological university in the south east that would help to develop the skills necessary to develop a smart economy in the region. It is well known that students from the south east attend universities in other parts of the country and that there is a brain drain from the region. This is something I ask the Government to address as a matter of urgency.

It is critical, if the south-east region is to prosper, that three issues be addressed: the need for a proper regional policy, poverty in the region, and the lack of skills and third level university places. This is not merely an issue for Ireland. It is also one for the European Union. My colleague, Senator Moran, mentioned Vodafone's decamping to India and Egypt. Call centres are notoriously footloose and fancy free. It does not matter whether it is Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales or France, the European Union needs to have another look at its industrial policy. We must look at the future of industrial policy in Europe.