Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I would like to endorse everything that Senator Cullinane has said. The south east lags behind in a range of areas, including medical provisions. The unemployment situation is dire. Waterford is the capital of the region and we have seen significant unemployment rise there in recent years, with very badly targeted approaches to resolve it. Wexford continues to be a real unemployment black spot. It ranks consistently third or fourth highest in the unemployment league. There needs to be a really focused effort, rather than just something that allows the Minister of State to answer on an Adjournment debate but does nothing for the people on the ground who are starved of employment and who are seeking to get it.

Wexford has suffered significantly because of the fall in the construction industry. Much of our unemployment was based on that sector and the collapse of that sector has given rise to 18% unemployment, and it is not a whole lot better across the region.