Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Tá fáilte roimh on Aire Stáit isteach. It is wholly appropriate and commendable that Sinn Féin would use its Private Members' time to highlight this issue. No Government, including this one, is above criticism. Regardless of what is done in terms of job creation, more should be done. It is the No. 1 issue in Ireland, as the Minister of State is keenly aware. He comes from an area that has suffered significantly from emigration. Although he may not have mentioned it yet, he has seen that suffering along the west coast from County Donegal to County Clare.

This morning, I spoke at a conference in Croke Park. The level of unemployment among minority groups, such as people with disabilities, is remarkably high and above the European average. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the presence of the Clare Comhairle na nÓg in the public Gallery. Its members are young people with their futures ahead of them and they are deeply concerned about job opportunities.

I commend the Government on micro-managing a resolution to this horrific issue. The Action Plan for Jobs contains initiatives that have been fine-tuned and are determined by the requirements that need to be met when creating jobs. The plan is reviewed on a three-month basis. A new jobs initiative is launched each year. The plan has met with tangible success.

I commend the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, on leading many trade delegations to various parts of the world, particularly the US. These have resulted in significant job announcements. I commend the tourism industry, which has borne the brunt of some of the harshest job losses. We are seeing green shoots. The Gathering is one of the most phenomenal tourism initiatives in which the country has ever engaged. All stakeholders have bought into it. I am not just referring to the tourism industry, but also to local authorities and the Government.

It was a very focused and determined marketing drive that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of extra people visiting the country. Every week for the past number of months we have seen major international conferences held in Dublin, and I commend my colleague, Senator Cáit Keane, for initiating one of those international conferences which took place in Dublin Castle last weekend. Hundreds of people from all over Europe attended a conference in that instance which made very interesting recommendations.