Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I join Senator Leyden in welcoming the recent launch of the air ambulance service based in Athlone. It is a commitment by the Government to provide a top-class health care service. I know the new service has been welcomed by everybody along the western seaboard.

I also welcome the decision of the Irish people in the recent referendum. People voted for certainty, stability, recovery and the availability of future funding. I am pleased people rejected the negative campaign waged by the "No" side based on many untruths and irrelevancies. However, there is one outstanding matter with regard to the referendum and I ask people to address it. A large amount of very unsightly posters remain throughout the country in particular in the city of Dublin. I am very disappointed that these posters were not removed in time for the Olympic torch coming through the city. Many visitors will come to Dublin for the Eucharistic Congress at the weekend and I appeal to all organisations to ensure the posters are removed. They are unsightly, and many cable ties, which look particularly awful, also remain.

Now that the referendum is over I hope we will begin to discuss positive initiatives on how we will get out of our economic difficulties and create more employment. Following a commitment made some time ago by the Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Enterprise, Deputy Richard Bruton, I call on the Leader to schedule during this session an update on the jobs initiative which will give us all an opportunity to further feed into the programme.