Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)

I have not put a bet on so I genuinely do not know. There are two issues I wish to raise with the Leader. The first is Intel in north Kildare, which also provides employment for much of south Kildare and many surrounding counties. It has given so much to the country. Of course, Kildare County Council depends an awful lot on its rates as well. Some 4,900 people work there. There is much concern now for the workers and their families due to the announcement that the company's workforce globally will be cut by 20%. It is a very anxious time. It is positive that the company stated it will continue to focus investment on its core business, which is what happens in the plant in Leixlip as regards the manufacturing of conductor products. That is important. Some €30 billion has been invested since it opened there in 1989 and €19 million of that was in recent years. However, there are concerns about those who may be impacted, and many other companies that rely on Intel to provide elements to them are concerned. It is important that while we have much to be positive about with regard to employment rates within the country and the fact that Ireland is the location of choice for so many companies, at the same time, we need to expedite the action plan on competitiveness. We need a number of short-term measures put in place to help businesses that come through FDI, such as Intel, and local businesses to make sure they are all sustainable. I would like to see a debate here with the Minister on that.

The other item I wish to raise is fair fares, which was implemented last Monday. I understand that, in some areas, the fares have risen a little bit, but for those of us who commute from Newbridge and Kildare town, it is a very good news story. However, there are some concerns that there are teething problems. At the moment, customers cannot get the monthly 30-day zonal tickets and they are unable to top up more than €150 on the Leap card or €125 online. The information on the website is not correct. Communication is everything, and commuters are being given the wrong information. It is important that is rectified as soon as possible. Perhaps we could have the Minister in to discuss this because it is a very important aspect of commuter travel.