Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Government's jobs initiative which comprises a selection of bold ambitions, including making Ireland the best small country in the world in which to do business. It is easy to be cynical, but I know Senator Darragh O'Brien is not a cynical person. The plan offers hope and is presented with a genuine commitment to get the country moving again. I say with conviction that the plan gives hope to the mothers and fathers who are planning to say goodbye to their children at the airport that these young people will be able to stay in Ireland. As I welcome the youth of Ardee, County Louth, to the Chamber today, I want them to feel the energy of the House. They must be assured that the Seanad and the Dáil are working hard to make progress in this area.