Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

Yesterday, a number of Members of this House attended the 4 July celebrations in the Phoenix Park. My colleague, Senator Leyden, paid tribute to our American cousins and wished them well on their Independence Day celebrations.

Following on that, the US ambassador, Ambassador Rooney, who is a great friend of Ireland, is quoted in today's newspapers as saying that US investors continue to have confidence in Ireland and in the Irish economy. He went on to say that he had travelled throughout Ireland and had visited every county in Ireland. I wish the same could be said of IDA Ireland. Two weeks ago, our finance spokesperson in the other House tabled a parliamentary question on the policies of IDA Ireland. The question concerned the manner in which it goes about its business and whether it attempts to disburse much needed jobs across the Irish economy rather than focusing, as the statistics have indicated, on Dublin, Cork and, to a lesser extent, Galway while ignoring key areas of the country, including my own area of the north west. The north west has haemorrhaged young people, many whom are now contemplating their future after college in an economy that is failing to provide jobs.

I raised the issue at the time but I wish to return to it today because I believe we have reached a crisis point. It is important that the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation comes to the House to outline the reality of industrial policy as distinct from the perception of it. The perception is that the IDA and the Government are doing a wonderful job in attracting high technology companies into Ireland but when one examines the figures one discovers that large parts of the country are not even receiving visits. My own county has not been visited despite the fact that clusters of industrial units were established by successive administrations over the past 30 or 40 years in practically every county. Many of these units are now lying idle, with whins and thistles growing outside. There has been one IDA visit to County Roscommon, where Senator Leyden lives. In his response to my previous inquiry on the matter, the Leader bemoaned the fact that Waterford has received few visits despite suffering severely from the economic downturn.

The main plank of this Government's policy platform was jobs creation and solving youth unemployment. If the driving engine of that policy is to be the IDA, it is vital that we know its policies and whether they are initiated internally or are being driven by the Government. I focus on this specific issue because we will begin summer recess in a couple of weeks. Young people are now contemplating their future. I would like to think that the hope and confidence conveyed by the US ambassador could also be conveyed by the Government. We have to build hope and confidence in the young people of this country if we are not to lose yet another generation to England, Australia, Canada and America. The consequences of repeating the mistake of previous generations, when the country lost real talent, do not bear thinking about.