Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

I did not hear Senator Coghlan's comment but I hope he was not calling me what he was calling other people yesterday. Ireland Stand Up will appear before the foreign affairs committee in the near future. I agree with colleagues opposite that the Vatican issue while important is not more important than the issue of jobs and the jobs plan. While the Government previously promised a jobs budget, we got a jobs initiative. The initiative was its raiding of private pensions. No Minister can tell us how many jobs have been created following that raid on private pensions.

The Government proposes to sell off Bord Gáis, some of the proceeds of which will be used to create jobs. If the Government cannot tell us how many jobs were created following its raid of private pensions why then are we being told the proceeds from the proposed sale An Bord Gáis will be used to create jobs? Ministers have been telling us that it is not the job of Government to create jobs.