Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I join Senator Mooney in calling for a debate on the IDA. Senator Mooney made a very eloquent contribution and made his point very well and very clearly. In her contribution, Senator O'Keeffe alluded to the fact my colleague may have been criticising the IDA. Far from it. He did not deny the fact it does excellent work in getting jobs for the country. What he disputes is where they are located. It is quite obvious the jobs being created in recent years are going to major urban areas. There is a reason for this, namely, if the IDA does not bring foreign investors to areas other than the big urban areas they will not locate there. This is the point my colleague made.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, comes to the House today to discuss not only the IDA but the more urgent situation continuing since 15 December last year when 27 former employees of Lagan Brick were told the factory would close with immediate effect and they were dumped on the side of the street. Since then they have been protesting 24 hours a day outside the factory in Kingscourt, County Cavan, for their entitlements from the very profitable company which has continued to receive State contracts throughout the country.