Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I join colleagues on all sides in congratulating the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Government for the handling of the State visit of the Vice President of China at the weekend. The visitors saw the country at its best. I understand there was extensive television and media coverage of the visit throughout China and, hopefully, there will be enormous growth in trade and tourism as a result. Senator Paul Bradford is correct. It is appropriate that human rights issues would have been raised with the visitors and I understand that happened. I agree that we should have a debate, as requested by Senator Bradford, on human rights issues throughout the world, at the earliest opportunity.

Following on from the visit of Vice President Xi Jinping from China, the national jobs plan, announced last week, will drive the economy forward. I welcome the regional dimension to the plan and congratulate Dundalk and Haggardstown on securing the 1,000 jobs announcement today. I hope IDA Ireland will reach the 50% target of locating foreign direct investment into the regions outside Dublin and Cork. I want to ensure that towns such as Ballinasloe, located in the centre of the country, which lost 1,000 industrial jobs being the next big location for foreign direct investment. I congratulate the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, IDA Ireland and all associated with the major announcement for Dundalk. We want many more of those job announcements. That the Taoiseach is assuming responsibility for accountability in respect of the national jobs plan is welcome and, hopefully, this is the start of positive developments.