Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael)

Tá brón orm. The success of the trade mission to China has not been recognised because of the household charge and Mahon report issues. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is doing an excellent good and perhaps some of that is down to pressure Senator Mary White has put on him. The trade mission has been a great success. China is a source of foreign direct investment as well as exports. This is important because 90% of our economic growth is expected to come from outside the EU in the years to come. As chairman of Dundalk Town Council in 2007, I welcomed the first Chinese manufacturing facility, SATIR, to Ireland. The company recently announced expansion plans, which will lead to the creation of 200 new jobs. I hope that is the first of many similar announcements.