Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We always say the levels on the unemployment register have dropped due to a combination of reasons, such as people leaving the country, moving around and also taking up a job. It is clear from the number of jobs created in the past three or four years that the number of additional people at work is 80,000. It is not a case that everybody has left. There are new jobs. In the early years the jobs were concentrated in the east and in Dublin city but in the past year, according to a review of the figures from recent months, there has been a push out to the regions. We are going to try to build on that and the only way we can do it is to have a regional strategy. Otherwise it will not happen. The strategy tries to bring together all the local talents to focus our minds. This has worked in other areas and in other regions. If the Senator does not want to be part of it, that is his choice.