Vol. 478 No. 7
I move:
That Dáil Éireann condemns the Government for its neglect of Cork City and the South-West, for its failure to ensure balanced economic development, to provide sufficient educational resources to tackle high unemployment, and to implement all aspects of the Land Use Transportation Study.
I wish to share time with Deputy Moynihan.
I am sure that is satisfactory and agreed.
We welcome the opportunity to move this motion on behalf of the people of Cork and the south west region generally. During the Cork by-elections more than two years ago the Government parties gave strong commitments to develop Cork. The Fine Gael Party in Cork said it would have a Minister at the table in future Governments of which it was a member. There is not a Cabinet Minister from the Cork region in this Government. That promise was reneged on by the Taoiseach even though a key electoral commitment was given during the by-elections in Cork which impacted particularly on the Cork South Central by-election. That was not the only promise to the people of Cork during those by-elections on which he reneged. His promise to grant an interim licence to the south coast TV deflector company has not been honoured. Its licence application has been rejected by the Government. Likewise, the Government failed to act on a broad range of areas affecting the economic, social and educational development of the people of Cork.
The people of Cork are angry at the Government's neglect of the city, particularly in regard to job creation. Despite the booming economy of the past few years, Cork has not benefited in terms of net new jobs. To illustrate this point, in 1996 total IDA job announcements amounted to approximately 17,725 of which Dublin received 12,559, or 71 per cent, and Cork received 1,246, or 7 per cent. Redundancies in Cork totalled more than 1,000. In effect, there has not been a net increase in jobs in the Cork area under this Government. It has neglected Cork and south west region in terms of job creation. In the preceding year not one additional job was created in the west Cork area. Job creation and industrial strategy is a key issue. People from the west have expressed concern about the imbalance in job creation in areas outside Dublin. The people of the south west are also concerned about that. The significant imbalance in growth and development is of fundamental importance to society.
The Fine Gael Party has betrayed the people of Cork in terms of job creation and industrial policy for the city and its surrounding areas. There has been very little progress on the industrial front. The Government got off to a bad start when the former Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Deputy Lowry, intervened to stop the Horgan's Quay technology park project which would have created additional jobs in the city. A key strategy for providing jobs in Cork must be the development of high class industrial development parks which would involve the private sector in partnership with the IDA and its State agencies. The former Minister sent out all the wrong signals in his handling of the Horgan's Quay project. That is a sad legacy left by the Fine Gael Party in Cork. I am not making this point in an overt partisan way but rather to outline that initiative involved an important area of the city centre which has not received good news on the industrial or jobs front for many years. Far from undermining such initiatives, we should encourage and promote them to ensure their success. The newly announced Model Farm Road Technology Park initiative, a joint venture between the private sector and the university, deserves the State's support. Other areas of the south west need enthusiastic promotion from this Government if jobs are to be realised.
I am surprised the Government has not joined in partnership with Cork Corporation in the development of the Mahon Industrial Estate which is adjacent to the new downstream crossing and is well placed to attract worthwhile industrial projects to the city. We have no evidence the Government is serious about promoting this key industrial park in partnership with Cork Corporation.Additional aid or assistance has not been given to the corporation to promote the Mahon Industrial Park. Likewise, Kilbarry and Hollyhill are also starved of increased investment. In a recent reply from the city manager to a question I tabled regarding the number of jobs created in industrial estates within the city boundaries I was informed that during 1995 and 1996 no new industries were located in any of the industrial estates within Cork city. It is depressing for the people of Cork that there has been such little progress in industrial estates under the jurisdiction of Cork Corporation in the city and its surrounds.
Macom is a large plant.
It already existed.
It is a new plant.
It is a relocation, not a new industry.I am making the point that no new additional industries were located there. Macom is expanding and moving from the Poladuff Industrial Estate to Mahon.
It will involve additional jobs.
Additional industries have not located there.
There must also be a clear change in ideas, policy and strategy. The regions outside Dublin must be given a competitive advantage in terms of attracting jobs. We in Cork must develop more attractive industrial locations to attract industry and develop jobs in the region. The Government must state clearly that at the centre of its strategic policy lies the location of additional industry and jobs in the Cork region. Those unemployed for a long time suffer extreme hardship compared to those at work. Their quality of life has been greatly diminished and undermined because of the unavailability of jobs. The long-term unemployed in Cork deserve a better deal from the Government. To date they have been betrayed.
When in office Fianna Fáil pumped huge resources into the Ringaskiddy landbank and made available a powerful infrastructure that succeeded in attracting major industry to the lower harbour area. The Government did not follow up on previous Fianna Fáil initiatives. Despite the previous investment in infrastructure, the area has not attracted any major industry since this Government came into power. The satellite towns Carrigaline, Ballincollig, Blarney and Glanmire are starved of additional jobs. There is a clear need for a Government commitment to promote the Cork region more actively and enthusiastically and to secure additional jobs for the area. We condemn the Government for its failure to do so to date.
Special measures are required for the northside of the city and for certain areas on the southside, such as Mahon and Togher, which endure high levels of unemployment. Recent reports from Cork Corporation's planning department, contained in the most recent quarterly economic monitor, indicate that unemployment levels, particularly long-term unemployment levels, are unacceptably high in such areas. This reduces economic and social progress and exacerbates and reinforces the degree of social, economic and educational disadvantage in those areas. The Government has not taken special initiatives that have impacted in any way on the capacity of the long-term unemployed in those areas to secure worthwhile jobs. The unemployment figures for the northside were depressingly high in the corporation's reports. This outlines the failure of the Government to make serious inroads into the difficulties of tackling the problem of long-term unemployment on the northside of Cork, in particular, and in areas such a Mahon and Togher.
In the area of urban renewal the Government has lacked imagination and creativity. Under previous Fianna Fáil Governments significant urban renewal projects were undertaken. Areas of the city which were previously derelict were renewed and refurbished, resulting in considerable construction work and activity. The evidence of the success of that urban renewal programme can be seen all around the city. We must build on that progress. I am surprised the Government did not introduce new measures, particularly in the Finance Act, to develop new and more imaginative urban renewal programmes for the city, similar to the Temple Bar initiative in Dublin.
What about the airport?
I will come to that later. Cork requires a Temple Bar style initiative. The historic city action plan, driven by Cork Corporation and funded by Europe, forms the basis for the development of a Temple Bar type initiative in the centre of Cork city. Fianna Fáil, in partnership with Cork Corporation, is committed to developing such an initiative and will make provision in future Finance Acts to develop a Temple Bar style area in the city of Cork. There may be local differences and manifestations attached to such an initiative and project, but something similar to that is needed for the city centre of Cork. Cork city has not enjoyed that type of investment or initiative. It would be a welcome addition and could work in tandem with the historic city action plan that Cork Corporation, driven by its councillors, has so ably piloted.
The Temple Bar initiative has been an outstanding success for the city of Dublin. It has revitalised an old area of the city, brought new life back into the city and has resulted in great commercial, business and artistic activity. It has become a major tourist attraction and celebrates great success on an ongoing basis. We in Cork must endeavour to develop a similar initiative in our city centre area to bring people back to the city and to increase the number of visitors, thereby creating additional investment and jobs in the city centre.
The expansion and development of the educational services in the city and county of Cork are critical to the region's development. We in Cork are extremely disappointed that the Minister for Education and the Government have not shown any firm commitment to UCC, Cork Regional Technical College or post leaving certificate colleges located in the city centre.
Regarding the university, the Minister failed to follow up on a Fianna Fáil plan to acquire Our Lady's Hospital and to facilitate a major expansion on that site with the provision of funding from the Exchequer. That commitment was given by a former Taoiseach. Deputy Reynolds, and Deputy Ahern when he was Minister for Finance and was due to considerable lobbying by a Fianna Fáil Deputy from Cork's northside, Deputy Wallace.
It did not work in the by-election.
He put in an enormous amount of work at that time to secure that project for the university and for the people of Cork North Central who he has represented so ably and diligently down through the years. I know from personal experience that he put his heart and soul into that project, believing it would represent a major breakthrough for the people of the north side of Cork with the location of a university campus on the Sunday's Well site. It would have had the effect of relieving the undoubted congestion the area surrounding the existing campus suffers and would have led to a significant development on the north side in educational terms which would have made a contribution to improving and increasing access to third level education for a range of people, who traditionally have not participated to the degree we would wish.
Immediately after the formation of this Government, the Minister for Education, Deputy Bhreathnach, jettisoned that project and killed it off.
With the active support of the President.
We are still awaiting significant Government funding for the university. Additional funding has not yet been provided for the Good Shepherd Convent project. The evidence is that the Minister in the constituency is not too happy with that project and is not anxious to see it proceed. In sharp contrast, Fianna Fáil's record on UCC has been outstanding. It was a Fianna Fáil initiative which led to the establishment of the National Micro-Electronics Centre at UCC.
It was opened by the Taoiseach, Deputy Bruton.
Opening something and developing an initiative are different matters. The vagaries of electoral politics can result in someone being fortuitous enough to be there to cut the tape without having had any role in conceiving and aiding the project. We know it was a Fianna Fáil Government under a former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey who pioneered and developed that project.
We all supported it.
That support was welcome. It has been crucial in providing original and basic research for the electronic industries that have located in Cork. It has emerged as a centre of excellence for micro-electronics research and has provided job opportunities for many graduates of the college. The National Biotechnology Centre was also established at UCC under the previous Fianna Fáil Government and it has been particularly strong in the area of food research.
Fianna Fáil sees and always saw third level education in Cork as central to the region's economic and industrial success. Unfortunately, the Government has no such vision for the third level sector. This was seen in the contemptuous manner in which the Minister for Education treated the Cork Regional Technical College in recent months. We all know she unilaterally decided to award institute of technology status to Waterford a few months ago via a press release on a Sunday afternoon. No one in Cork had any difficulty with the upgrading of Waterford to institute of technology status, but Cork people were aggrieved and angry about her decision to ignore Cork's compelling case for institute of technology status. She simply forgot about Cork regional technical college. One wonders where Government Deputies from Cork were in keeping the regional technical college to the for of the Minister's mind, although knowing her as I do, I concede that would be a difficult task for them. The Minister did not have Cork regional technical college in her overall plans. It was the agitation and campaigning of the students, staff and management of the college that led to the formation of a higher level advisory group to advise the Minister on the entire sector. That group's report has been published and from my first reading of it this morning. I consider it is a recipe for bureaucratic gridlock. It does not answer Cork's case initially and there is no clear light at the end of the tunnel on the status of Cork's regional technical college. On any objective criteria Cork regional technical college should be an institute of technology. I call on the Minister for Education to make decisions on this matter once and for all and not to engage in continual fudges.
Of greater significance is that the Minister did not have Cork regional technical college in her sights in regard to this issue. She had no vision for the institution. It was under the last Fianna Fáil Government that funding was made available for the college's new library, further developments in the catering area and new technologies through operational funds from Europe. Fianna Fáil Governments have been very kind to Cork regional technical college in the past and have been to the forefront of its development. It was Fianna Fáil Governments in the past that established Cork Regional Technical College along with the other regional technical colleges throughout the country. Fianna Fáil did this out of an understanding of the need for skilled graduates necessary to attract new, modern, knowledge based industries to Cork and other areas.
We in Cork have been extremely proud of the role UCC and Cork regional technical college have played in the development of the educational infrastructure of the region and the economic and industrial progress resulting from the performance and success of those colleges. Without the local initiatives and endeavour of the staff, students and management of these colleges, Cork would be very much the poorer today.
The post leaving certificate colleges in Cork, The College of Commerce, Colaiste Stiofán Náofa and St. John's Central College are providing places for more than 2,000 post leaving certificate students in the city. Those colleges have been starved of central funding for capital development. The Government has dragged its feet in providing capital funds for their development.Structural Funds exist and were negotiated by the previous Fianna Fáil-Labour Government for the expansion and development of PLC colleges, but those funds has been very slow in coming to Leeside.
Cork City vocational education committee has been to the fore in developing post leaving certificate colleges. The management, staff and students of the colleges have been very creative and innovative in developing courses relevant to market needs in the region and have provided exciting opportunities for many young people from the region and beyond. Yet the Government has been niggardly in its approach to these colleges.No maintenance grants are available to the students in them and not capital grants of any substances have been made available to the colleges for the purpose of extending and creating extra space for the students who are in a very overcrowded conditions at present. In short, we in Cork must ensure that our university, our regional technical college, our institute of technology and our PLC colleges of technology form a central part of Cork's economic and social policy.These institutions will provide the skilled graduates necessary to attract the new knowledge-based industries to Cork but they require additional investment and support to do so. Fianna Fáil is committed to provide such support. Millions of pounds are being pumped into developments elsewhere — good luck to Dún Laoghaire, Castlebar and the other regions — but our central charge is that Cork has not benefited on a pro rata basis.
The Government stands indicted on the breaking the cycle initiative. Cork was left behind in key areas. The initiative was meant to target areas of high economic, social and educational disadvantage and when it was announced one year ago it was a cause of considerable disbelief that St. Mary's on the Hill school in Knocknaheeny and Padre Pio primary school in Churchfield were excluded from the project. There was also much surprise that Holy Cross family school in Mahon and Togher boys' and girls' national school were also excluded.
Together national school in Dunmanway was not excluded.
All these areas have up to 80 per cent unemployment. I have examined the socio-economic and educational data for the Knocknaheeny and Churchfield schools and no one in the INTO or otherwise involved in education in Cork can explain why they were excluded from the breaking the cycle initiative. It smelt of political hypocrisy that some schools were given up to eight extra teachers but these schools, which were at the coalface of socio-economic and educational disadvantage, did not receive one additional teacher in last year's staffing schedules. It is possible they may lose schools this year according to the normal pupil-teacher ratio thresholds. No Government could stand over this.
It cannot be said that St. Patrick's College drew up the criteria and the Government was not involved. The PESP, the NESC, the National Economic and Social Forum the Department of Enterprise and Employment, the Department of Education and anyone else who collected relevant data said these areas should be targeted for economic and social development. It is inexcusable, unacceptable and unbelievable that these schools were excluded. I met the parents whose children attend these schools when they visited the Taoiseach to articulate their disgust at this decision.
Fianna Fáil has over the years made huge resources available to the city and county of Cork for the implementation of all aspects of the land use transportation study, or LUTS. Having successfully negotiated large sums in Structural Funds, the Fianna Fáil Government allocated a substantial portion of that money to the Cork region. The development of the south city link road and the northern ring road is testimony to our party's commitment to the region. The decision to allocate more than £80 million to the Lee tunnel was a tremendous vote of confidence in the region by the outgoing Fianna Fáil Government.
Little has happened since then. The Government's continued refusal to provide adequate funding for the Blackpool by-pass is a severe indictment of its commitment to Cork. This by-pass is essential to relieve the congestion which is a feature of the area. Members of Cork Corporation were shocked at the recent news that adequate funds would not be made available this year for completion of the by-pass. Given the Government's present commitments, it may be another five years before it is completed. This has astounded many people in the north side of the city and stands as a condemnation of the Government's commitment to the Cork area and LUTS. One wonders about the influence of the Fine Gael and Democratic Left Members from the Cork area on Government policy and fund allocation.When money is allocated to various projects and constituencies all over the country, it is surprising that a vital infrastructural project such as the Blackpool by-pass has not received adequate Government funding.
What about the tunnel?
We provided for that. The Ballincollig by-pass is likewise an essential part of the LUTS plan. Following the opening of the latest phase of the south city link road, huge congestion has built up in the Bishopstown area of Cork. Despite pleading with the Minister for funds to alleviate the congestion, no action has been taken. The relief road between Ardaroistig and Curraheen will not be provided, due to lack of Government funds. Significant progress has not been made on the Ballincollig by-pass, neither has significant grant aid been made available to Cork County Council to enable it to accelerate the project. This by-pass is the only solution to the traffic congestion problems in the Bishopstown area. This Government has not responded to the groundswell of emotion and anger articulated by local residents at the increase in traffic from the link road developments. The Government has ignored this anger and decided not to allocate any additional funds to enable the by-pass to proceed and be implemented on a much quicker timescale than that originally envisaged.
The Government's record on the environment has also been extremely poor. Additional funds have not been made available to Cork Corporation for the management of the existing landfill site. The corporation has had to borrow more than £2 million to provide for a leach treatment plant. The Government failed to give funding from central sources to assist the corporation in dealing with a serious environmental hazard. The corporation and Cork County Council are to be congratulated on their joint waste disposal strategy, which has been developed at local level with their own initiative and no help from central Government. The Minister for the Environment, Deputy Howlin, hid behind the "polluter pays" principle and used it to prevent additional funds being allocated to Cork to deal with its waste disposal problem.
Despite the progressive and constructive approach of the local authorities, there has been no partnership approach by central Government. The Minister has not come clean on this issue. While abolishing water charges he has kept refuse charges in place in Cork and throughout the country, despite Democratic Left's promise to abolish them. There is a good reason that such charges remain in place. The Minister has not advised the public that refuse charges will increase significantly in the years ahead, due to the "polluter pays" principle. From my experience on the waste disposal committee of Cork Corporation, it is clear that such costs will quadruple in the coming years and refuse charges will also increase. The Minister's policy is not to give additional funding to local authorities for modern waste disposal strategies. The logical conclusion to be drawn from that refusal is that local charges for refuse collection will increase dramatically. The Minister should admit this publicly and I sound a warning that it will happen. The recent abolition of water charges was only an election gimmick and the Minister should be questioned more carefully on his waste disposal policy, particularly the funding implications.
On health matters, there has been considerable neglect of Cork, particularly of the accident and emergency and maternity services. There are three hospital casualty departments in Cork — at Cork University Hospital, the Mercy Hospital and the South Infirmary — and the number of new patients attending each unit has increased over the past three years with no consequent increase in staffing levels. All three A and E departments require to be extended and upgraded, particularly that at Cork University Hospital. The resuscitation room in this hospital can only accommodate three trolleys, yet this is a designated training unit outside Dublin. In addition, post-graduate nursing training in A and E, intensive care and coronary care is not available in Cork at present. Nurses seeking to pursue any of these qualifications must do so in Dublin, usually at their own expense.
The staffing levels in each hospital are inadequate.The steering committee for A and E services in Cork has condemned the lack of medical and nursing personnel as the major problem facing such services in the city. There is only one A and E consultant between the three hospitals, who attends the Mercy and the South Infirmary for one three hour period each per week. For the rest of the week these A and E departments are staffed by non-consultant hospital doctors.
There is a clear need for a central, state of the art maternity unit to be located at Cork University Hospital. We await a clear allocation of funding from the Minister for Health in this regard but so far this has not happened. Some progress has been made but a clear commitment from the Government is required.
The decision of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Deputy Dukes, to reject the licensing application from the South Coast TV deflector company illustrates the complete betrayal of the people of Cork by the Fine Gael-Labour-Democratic Left Government.
Clear commitments were give by the Fine Gael Party on the provision of licences to South Coast. They were not honoured. Political promises were made in a crowded hall in Carraigaline on the eve of the Cork South Central by-election. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Coveney, remembers that event very well because it played a role in his election. Up to 1,000 people clapped the Taoiseach as he gave a solemn commitment that, on his return to power, he would immediately grant an interim licence. He has been in power for more than two and a half years, but his Government has done a complete U-turn and rejected the application from South Coast. The High Court placed an obligation on the Government to consider the licence application from South Coast. It considered the application but rejected it, thereby making the company vulnerable to legal action from Cork Multi Channel.
People are sick and tired of this cynical approach to substantive issues. The Taoiseach should not have made that promise in Carraigaline if he was not in a position to implement it. He clearly made it without undertaking any proper research, or he deliberately misled the people at that time. The people of Cork will adjudicate on that in the next general election. This issue illustrates the bankrupt approach of the Government to the Cork region and its lack of any overall vision for the people of that region.
Fianna Fáil is proud of its record in the Cork area. The Cork-Swansea Ferry Company, which is now such a success, was restored through direct Fianna Fáil Government initiatives. Successive Fianna Fáil Ministers gave the capital funding required for the re-establishment of that service, which was lost during the previous Fine Gael-Labour Government of the 1981-6 period.
In addition, in 1987 Fianna Fáil ploughed huge additional resources into Cork Airport, resulting in extended runways, more modern radar equipment, an extension of the terminal, and an all round improvement of the airport ambience and infrastructure. The Fianna Fáil Government succeeded in directing significant structural funds to Cork Airport. I pay tribute to a former Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications, Deputy Denis Lyons, who spearheaded those initiatives and was responsible for significant funds being made available for Cork Airport and the Cork region generally. He has a very proud record.
On the infrastructural side, I have already mentioned Fianna Fáil's commitment to the implementation of the LUTS, and how it contrasts with slowing down the implementation of that strategy by the present Government. On the environmental front, I have referred to the waste disposal issue. In passing, I pay tribute to the former Minister for the Environment, Deputy Michael Smith, who banned the burning of bituminous coal in the Cork city area, resulting in cleaner, healthier air for the people of Cork. That was a very solid achievement of the former Minister, and one for which the people of Cork will remember him generously.
Fianna Fáil intends to build on that record. We intend to adopt a vision for the future of Cork city and the south west generally. Central to that vision is the creation of additional jobs, the coordination of an industrial strategy involving industrial agencies and third level institutions, and the provision of additional educational services for Cork, particularly in the areas which suffer social and economic disadvantage. We will accelerate and continue our commitment to the implementation of the LUTS strategy. We will also join in partnership with Cork Corporation in developing a Temple Bar initiative for Cork city, and in further developing the urban initiative project.
Tá áthas orm seans a fháil labhairt ar son na tairisceana seo anocht. Tá dearmad déanta ag an Ríaltas ar Chorcaigh Íar-Thuaidh.This Government has failed to continue to give relevant support to industry and the necessary infrastructure in County Cork. Fianna Fáil initiated that support by building advance factories in strategic areas and by putting the necessary infrastructure in place.
The Celtic tiger has benefited greatly from the education system which was, in the main, put in place by Fianna Fáil Governments. The present Government has failed to recognise the importance of our educational achievements in the greater Cork area by refusing to upgrade the Cork Regional Technical College to the Cork Institute of Technology.
The villages of Cork North West and the towns of Newmarket, Charleville, Millstreet and Macroom are crying out for jobs so that their well educated young people can stay in their own areas. National schools and other relevant services have been provided but the lack of factories has decimated rural communities. Why should the Government have to provide extra schools and facilities in Dublin when these already exist in rural areas? Instead of forcing our young people into areas which are already overcrowded, we should provide jobs in their own areas. Young people would bring enormous vibrancy and energy to rural areas. They would bring security to the older generation and could bring up their children in very natural surroundings.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has done away with grants to control farm pollution. For the first time in the history of the State, farm improvement schemes have been done away with. This is affecting smaller farmers and pushing them off their land. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry told me last week in reply to a Parliamentary Question, that we must import cattle ear tags from France. There are many factories in Cork North West which could manufacture those tags and the people of that area would be delighted with such an industry.
Lack of housing is a major problem in Charleville and, to a lesser degree, in Millstreet and Kanturk. More extensive zoning and a wider range of house type, both private and local authority, is needed.
The failure of this Left dominated Government to see the benefits of living in and supporting rural areas is alarming. It has failed the people of my area and many other rural communities. We must ensure that jobs are provided for people in their own areas. If this cannot be done at a time of economic prosperity, it will never be done. Sites are available for small, medium and large industries. Industrialists must be encouraged to avail of them. It seems the Celtic tiger is not allowed to roam rural Ireland.
When I mention rural Ireland, I think of the condition of our roads. As Deputy Martin said, grants for main roads and by-passes of towns such as Macroom and Ballincollig have been put back. We understood a number of years ago that work on the Macroom by-pass would be well advanced by now. However, that has been put on the back burner for another few years. Work is being completed on the section of the N22 — the main road between Tralee, Killarney and Macroom — which goes through Ballyvourney at the moment. However, when that work commenced under a Fianna Fáil Government, the second stage was to commence at the beginning of 1997. There has been no further mention of that — the land has not even been purchased for the road widening. That is only one of many problems with our roads under this Government.
Tourism angling and other activities should be further developed. Tourism has great employment potential, particularly in the Macroom area, which is in the centre of the Lee valley with all its natural attractions, such as mountains, rivers and lakes. These assets are not being exploited at present.
There are also cultural aspects associated with the region, including traditional music and the native language. Fianna Fáil will continue its work to provide the infrastructure, advance factories and other facilities necessary to rejuvenate rural Ireland.
I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:
"Dáil Éireann commends the Government for the implementation of policies which have supported significantly improved economic and social progress in Cork City and the South-West, and supports the continued development of these policies to meet the needs of the city and the region."
I wish to share my time with Deputy Allen.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
It is depressing to hear how Deputies can be so negative about their native county and so blind to the progress that has been made in the region. The party has repeated tired old slogans it has been turning out for as long as it has been around. Its members do not seem to recognise that we have turned a corner with regard to enterprise. We now have a vibrant enterprise culture, and nowhere is it more vibrant than in Cork and the surrounding regions.
Members of the parties opposite should hang their heads rather than surface on the issue of employment performance. If one examines the priorities the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats Government were supposed to have made for Cork it is clear that its performance with regard to the development of overseas industry was dismal. In the three years it was in power it produced an average growth in employment from IDA companies of 160 jobs. This Government has done four times better in the two years we have been in office and we are on course to do even better this year for Cork.
The Government has taken a strong approach to developing enterprise on the basis of simple ideas effectively delivered. We have made it cheaper for companies to create jobs. Two thirds of workers in employment are now on the low rate of PRSI. That represents a cut for their employers of more than three and a half points in the PRSI burden, the tax on employment which Deputies have often talked about but about which nothing was done until the Government acted.
We have also allowed companies, especially small companies, the ability to retain their profits for reinvestment and development. There has been a tangible reduction in the corporation tax burden they must bear, from 40 per cent to 28 per cent. Similarly, other companies have seen reductions. This has been a very significant fillip to small companies to develop their businesses. One of the most outstanding features of Cork is the way in which indigenous industry has dramatically turned around since this Government came to power and began to implement policies that support enterprise.
Equally, we have addressed one of the long running problems for small business, which is the burden of capital acquisitions tax incurred when they change hands on the death of those who established them. We have dramatically changed business relief, up from 25 per cent to 90 per cent. A business worth £1.8 million can now transfer from father to son or daughter without incurring capital acquisitions tax at a critical time, thus ensuring that the company is not robbed of resources to overcome the challenges of change of ownership.
We have delivered on our commitment to make it cheaper and easier to create a job and have also delivered in an outstanding fashion on our commitment to making it easier to take up a job. In the couple of budgets we have implemented we have increased the personal tax free allowances by 23 per cent, increased the income tax band by 21 per cent and cut the rate of tax, combined PAYE and PRSI, by 2 per cent. That has represented a real cut of five points in the tax take for those on average industrial wages. It is more than double the performance of the parties opposite when they were in power. We have delivered on the need to make it easier and more rewarding to take employment and to bring down the burden of tax.
We have also given companies access to capital in a way that was never available before. When the parties opposite were in power, typical interest rates were over 14 per cent for mortgages and business borrowing. We have now brought them down to 6.8 per cent for mortgages and there have been similar reductions for business borrowings. Small businesses and business generally has been able to access borrowing to fund their investment plans.
Not content with that, we have also made sure that there are targeted measures to support small businesses, including the £200 million small business loan scheme and the £60 million seed and venture capital programmes. These represent real benefits to businesses seeking to expand.
Cork and the south-west region have responded magnificently to these improvements in the environment for doing business in Ireland. The impact has been spectacular. The Government has achieved a record jobs growth in the south-west region of 7.6 per cent, an increase of 13,500 jobs in two years, which is 50 per cent better than the performance in the previous years. Unemployment rates have come down in the region by 3 per cent, from 15.6 per cent to 12.4 per cent. It is now below the national average and progress is being made in reducing it further.
When the performance of IDA Ireland, Forbairt and the county enterprise boards are examined, the strong enterprise performance in Cork and its environs is apparent. Last year, employment in IDA sponsored projects in the region grew by more than 5.5 per cent, leading to the creation of 1,022 jobs in Cork city and county. In addition, nine new projects were announced for the south-west region this year, including Eastman Kodak and Motorola. These are significant enterprises, and when those companies recently announced are fully operational they will create another 1,400 jobs. This is in sharp contrast to the dismal performance by the parties opposite when they were last in power. Our performance has been four times better with regard to bringing overseas investment to Cork.
Nonsense.
Some of those companies are especially exciting. The arrival of Eastman Kodak was a development that had long been pursued by Government. We succeeded in getting Eastman Kodak and Kodak to make significant investments in the region. These are valuable jobs in the key electronics sector. In failing to recognise the progress that Cork is making in attracting hitech industry, Deputy Martin is again blind to the strengths of his own city and region. We have built on those strengths.
I am happy to acknowledge that the NMRC was one of the far seeing investments in UCC and its environs. The development of those links with business has helped us to win new projects and I am pleased that we have been able to work so constructively with the NMRC to build on what is a strong and powerful support within the community for enterprise development, in sharp contrast to the bleating from the Deputy opposite. It has also been possible to develop significant new sites with private sector support. The sector has invested in many sites in the Cork region and many others are planned in Mitchelstown, Mallow and Bandon. The sector is looking ambitiously towards the ability of local investment to develop projects through the BES which will benefit those areas. Towns such as Fermoy have been successful as a result of their aggressive approach to developing their resources. That spirit, not the old begging bowl approach mentioned by Deputy Martin, characterises Cork today.
There has never been a begging bowl attitude in Cork.
The Government recently announced the designation of the Cork Airport zone. That is the correct response to the need for developments based on the strengths of the Cork region and the airport in particular.
What about the Mahon industrial park?
That significant development will bring many additional jobs to the Cork region. In the context of the IDA, the environment and the level of performance are exceptional.We expect an even better performance in the future.
The Deputy will be surprised at the transformation in the performance of indigenous industry since the time his party was in office. Net job creation in the south-west region in the last two years was more than ten times the figure for the preceding two years. This is the result of the change in attitude of indigenous companies. Small businesses have responded magnificently to the policies the Government adopted.
Our policies led to it.
The Government has created the environment for business to thrive through PRSI and corporate tax reform. The position in Cork city was the subject of much of Deputy Martin's contribution. However, the contrast in that regard is even more amazing. In the last two years there has been a startling growth of 450 in the number of people employed in indigenous companies.The number declined by almost 500 when the Deputy's party was in office.
Who lead the economic recovery? Fianna Fáil.
That is the contrast between the performance of such companies in Cork under this and the previous Governments.
Indigenous companies would not have performed except for Fianna Fáil.
The Deputy does not like the reality of the position. He prefers to take a cocooned approach and to use tired old slogans.
Who developed the sector?
The Deputy is on his own.
Facts speak louder than words.
Carlow-Kilkenny): Deputy Martin had 40 minutes to speak to his motion. In fairness to the Minister, he is sharing his time and he should be allowed to make his statement.
Indigenous business has performed exceptionally and I pay particular tribute to the strengths of that sector. There are the traditional strengths of the food, drink and tobacco operations, which are key industries in Cork city, but the strong development of the software industry by indigenous companies is particularly exciting.Almost 60 companies are involved in that area and some of them are doing exciting work in the high tech field. I had the privilege recently to visit a company in Cobh which is providing sophisticated engineering designs to an elaborate manufacturing plant. It is able to provide companies with virtual reality solutions for design and development projects. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Coveney, who has a knowledge of that sphere, is deeply impressed by that company and the manner in which its executives have developed international trading opportunities.
I am pleased that Forbairt is facilitating growth in the region through many of its successful programmes, including the research and development initiatives which have been widely taken up and the link supply programmes to multinationals.It has been possible to deepen the relationship of multinationals with the Cork region through links and domestic purchases. Strong sub-supply companies in the region provide services to local and multinational companies which have developed employment and successful businesses in Ireland.
The continuing problem of unemployment must be addressed.
I thought the Minister would never admit it.
The Government has been singularly successful in reducing unemployment in the south-west region. Unemployment has reduced by 3 per cent there and the rate has dropped to below the national average. However, the Government is not content with that and it wants considerably more progress on that front.
One of the Government's initiatives has been to develop the type of training and employment services which can respond to the needs of the unemployed. For example, over 12,000 people in the south-west region will benefit this year from training or community employment programmes. Over 5,500 people are undergoing training and I am pleased that the placement rate from those programmes is extremely high. Almost 75 per cent of those who complete training in the FÁS training centres find jobs.
The FÁS initiatives in Cork have been particularly successful and I was delighted to visit Bishopstown last week where the Oil Firing Technical Association of the Petroleum Industry has developed a most interesting training initiative.It provides skilled people for the gas and oil industries. The programme upgrades people's skills so they can meet the high standards demanded by that sector. The rapid changes in this sector require people to have particular skills and Cork is a centre of excellence in that regard. It has developed successful programmes in co-operation with industry. This type of spirit is prevalent in Cork. Industries are coming together with the statutory agencies to develop training programmes that give people real opportunities in growth areas. Cork is responding to the challenge in terms of training and this will have a lasting impact in terms of reducing unemployment in future.
The Government recognises that community employment and the development of employment services for the unemployed is critically important. Cork is one of the first areas to be included in the local employment service developed by the Government. The Cork city local employment service has been in operation since January this year and it is specifically targeted at those who face significant disadvantage in accessing the labour force. The Government believes the partnership approach which underpins that initiative will deliver results. The benefits of this approach in areas where the service has been in operation longer are obvious. Clients are treated on the basis of their needs and what type of progression paths will bring long-term unemployed people back into the workplace. I am pleased the Government has the enthusiastic support of industry, trade unions, the community and the official services in making the Cork city local employment service work. There is already significant progress on that front.
Over 5,500 people are completing community employment schemes in the south-west region. I am glad to report that those who have completed such programmes have achieved good results. Last year 36 per cent of them obtained employment and a further 30 per cent went on to further education and training.
Not one additional job was created in west Cork.
That is a dramatic change in the circumstances which prevailed up to a few years ago. The community employment programme is providing a base from which unemployed people can advance.
Who introduced the scheme?
There is a strong and buoyant economy in Cork in every area of enterprise. Regarding the tourism industry, there were 2.5 million visitors to the region last year. This involved a spend of £400 million, a considerable increase on the previous year. Cork has been singularly successful in developing a key roads infrastructure, involving an investment of over £100 million in national roads in Cork city and county in the last two years. Almost 25 per cent of the budget available for roads was devoted to the Cork region and this is having a real impact on the type of infrastructure which is available to support enterprise. I am proud that this Government has made Cork an enterprising city and county. The Deputy can be assured that Cork and the region are in safe hands with this Government.I wish to share the remainder of my time with the Minister of State, Deputy Allen.
Cork city and county are booming under this Government.
When I received notice of this motion in the post I could not believe it, since its content is totally at variance with the truth.
What about the people the Minister met with the Taoiseach last week?
It is a cynical, electioneering motion tabled by Members of a party that spent seven years in office from 1987 to 1994, a party which in the same period failed nationally and abandoned Cork. In contrast, in less than two and a half years this Government created 930 new jobs each week since January 1995. In comparison with the achievements of Deputy Mary O'Rourke, as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment, when the long-term unemployment figures rose by some 18,000, the present Minister for Enterprise and Employment has reduced that figure by 25,000.
On personal finances, families are being saved on average £575 through the abolition of property tax and service charges. Tax allowances have been increased, as have social welfare benefits and there has been a crackdown on social welfare fraud.
In the matter of education, families have been given a massive boost by the abolition of third level fees which, after tax, represents an average saving of £1,500 per child.
In my area of responsibility, for the first time ever a national sports strategy has been prepared, published and is being implemented. In addition, the Youth Work Bill, awaited since 1984, has been passed by the Dáil and is being considered by the Seanad. Furthermore, this Government has taken tough action by providing unprecedented resources to intensify the battle against criminals; in other words, this Government is working very well nationally.
Hear, hear.
In the south west area, the Government has delivered in a major way to Cork and the south west region. On the jobs front more and more industrial jobs are being created. For example, over the past two years 6,500 industrial jobs were created in Cork, unemployment is reducing and the figures are there to prove it.
The intensification of the Government's battle against the criminals is reflected locally in the appointment of extra gardaí, judges and courts. I recently signed a contract for a £3 million refurbishment of the Cork Courthouse. The fight against the drug barons is led by a Cork man, Barry Galvin, who heads the Criminal Assets Bureau, hitting them where it hurts most by seizing their assests. Another example of the satisfactory operations of Government is the announcement that henceforth the proceeds of criminal assets will be expended on preventive measures to reduce crime and eliminate drugs.
Fianna Fáil in Government did not face up to these issues.
The Government has accepted the need to defeat the drug barons in a number of ways.
About time.
Deputy Martin's party was in Government for seven years but never lifted a finger.
The Government acknowledges that the greatest preventive element in the fight against crime and drugs is the provision of sport and recreational facilities. Investment in youth services and sport reduces the need for even greater investment in security and health services. Whenever young people are offered a choice between a positive attraction and the negative one of crime and drugs, inevitably they will make the right choice; prevention is better than cure.
The Government has designated the north side of Cork city a special pilot area in the fight against crime and drugs, with emphasis on prevention programmes. It has invested in education, youth services and sports facilities. As soon as the recommendations of the local task force are received decisions will be taken, in addition to the major announcements already made. With these proposals the Government announced recently a £5.4 million project under the urban initiative which I forecast will lead to a social revolution on the north side of Cork city and substantially reduce the social effects of earlier bad planning decisions and unbalanced development, mainly by Fianna Fáil Governments.
This will return power to local communities, allowing them to take decisions in conjunction with State agencies and Government Departments rather than have them imposed on them as in the past.
Personal tax rates and PRSI have been reduced, water charges have been abolished, as has residential property tax and child benefit has been increased by half.
With regard to roads and the environment, there is the construction of the Lee tunnel the biggest ever project undertaken in the region. I was amused to hear Deputy Martin talk about the delay in funding of the Blackpool by-pass. This Government is making things happen in the Blackpool area and beginning to eliminate past decay. The money has been made available this year for the construction of the Blackpool by-pass.
It has not. There is funding for a few hundred yards.
One begins with a few hundred yards but does not stop there.
A by-pass to somebody's house.
There is a new road to Cork Airport and additional development of the ring roads around the city. Twenty-five per cent of the national roads allocation is being invested in the Cork area. Deputies opposite cannot argue with those facts.
The Minister should broaden his horizons. This is very serious business for us.
While I know Deputies are enjoying this, it is unfair, the Minister of State has only four minutes remaining. Will Deputies opposite please listen.
The truth is bitter. Since Fianna Fáil led with its chin, its Members must now take it on the chin.
Cork people are already enjoying the benefits of the abolition of third level fees and have witnessed major capital investments at University College Cork and the Cork Regional Technical College in addition to major investments in primary and post-primary schools throughout the city and county.
——and a new third level college in Skibbereen.
A new swimming pool in Bishopstown at a cost of £2.5 million, promised over very many years by the Members opposite has been opened. Cork sporting clubs have enjoyed financial support from the Government, as have their counterparts nationwide.
On the matter of health, when in Government Fianna Fáil closed the North Infirmary, a disastrous decision and a devastating blow to the sick and elderly of the Cork area. In consequence the delivery of the health services in Cork suffered and is only now recovering consequent on a recent major £11 million investment in Cork Mercy Hospital——
If the Minister of State will give me a chance I will tell him about its recovery; it is deteriorating.
That investment, coupled with the decision to centralise maternity facilities in a new unit at Cork University Hospital, together with investment in new equipment in all Cork hospitals, has meant the health services there have witnessed a significant improvement with a resultant reduction in hospital waiting lists.
The Minister of State should come around to see what is happening; it is well known he is not in Cork very often.
I was amused to hear Members of the Fianna Fáil party talk last week about cardiothoracic surgery because we have substantially increased the number of surgical procedures to take place this year at Cork University Hospital. Some of the comments made, to say the least, were scaremongering, causing patients worry and they were at variance with the facts.
When the Minister of State was in Opposition he had no difficulty in engaging in scaremongering.
Will Deputies please allow the Minister of State to conclude.
It is very difficult to listen to double speak.
All of this proves this Government, led by the Taoiseach, Deputy John Bruton, is working well. There has been unprecedented growth in job creation in addition to unprecedented resources being committed to tackle the remaining social problems. My message to this House and the electorate is that they have benefited immeasurably from the past two and a half years of this Government. In sporting parlance, my message is: why change a winning team? In other words, if it works, why fix it?
Never change horses mid stream.
On approaching Cork city from the Dublin road, driving along the quays, one can see the greatest political monument to folly on the part of the former Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Deputy Lowry and the Minister of State who has just spoken — that is a ten foot high wall with weeds growing over it surrounding a very valuable site, which was to have been the site of a major technology park. Its development was thwarted by Deputies Lowry and Allen, particularly the latter who said that Northgate Investments was interested in the site and would pay the same, if not more for it. That site remains idle, some 800 jobs having gone down the river. If anybody has something for which to answer the people of Cork it is the Minister of State at the Department of Education, Deputy Bernard Allen, particularly on this issue.
I have a copy of his statement that Northgate Investments were interested in purchasing the site. Since Mr. O'Callaghan decided he would not bother with this project, where are Northgate Investments and the other people who had an interest in investing in a technology park on that Horgan Quay site? The Minister has a lot to answer for.
There are good plans for that site.
He thwarted what would have been a high tech development, a most important and valuable development for the Cork city area, with all the ancillary jobs that would have followed.
The Minister talked about jobs, but let us look at last year's figures for the Cork area. The vast majority of jobs created in Cork were as a result of expansion in existing industry. The statistics speak for themselves, with a figure of 71 per cent on the east coast and only 6 per cent in Cork. The Minister then comes in and tells us how well Cork is doing.
It is booming.
Last year 1,259 jobs were created and there were 1,239 job losses. Nothing has been done by the Government to create jobs for the Cork area.
What lifeline did the Deputy's party in Government give Fords and Dunlops? It closed them down.
Fine Gael was in Government at that time and Deputy Barry was Minister. The Deputy is suffering from a memory lapse.
When Fianna Fáil was in Government it gave those companies no lifeline.
It is bad enough that Government Deputies are interrupting without the Deputy's party interrupting. He should be given a chance.
There has been total neglect of Cork in terms of industrial development. For instance, Apple Computers is the hub of the north city. How much money has been invested in buying products for Government Departments from that factory? There has been no investment in any of its products, yet it employs up to 1,400 people in Cork. There is no commitment to keep Apple Computers in business.
How can the Minister for Health invest £20 million in Galway Regional Hospital and £30 million in his own constituency, in the Regional Hospital Limerick, while leaving Cork without an obstetrics unit and an adequate accident and emergency department?
The Deputy did not say how much was invested in Cork.
The Southern Health Board area did not receive a bob.
About £20 million was invested there.
Is it any wonder people have to wait hours in the accident and emergency department in Cork to receive the attention they need?
That does not say much for the Fianna Fáil members of the Southern Health Board, which they have dominated for the past 20 years.
The Government, particularly the Minister for Health, has let us down badly and the people of Cork realise that.
In regard to education, I remind Deputy Allen that there could have been a third level university in his constituency.
There is one in my constituency.
We will have one in Skibbereen soon, with no thanks to the Deputy's party.
When Fianna Fáil was in office we gave a commitment to open a third level institution in Our Lady's Hospital on the north side, but that was stymied by this Government.
That is not true.
Let us look at what happened to Cork regional technical college. Institute of technology status has been given to Waterford regional technical college, but Cork regional technical college would more than meet the criteria for institute of technology status. It has been lumped in with all other regional colleges, with the result that the smaller colleges hold back the development of the larger colleges that have the staff and resources to develop technology, which is so important for industrial development in the area. The Minister, Deputy Allen, and the Minister for Education, in their approach to this whole issue, are responsible.
If Cork businessmen were asked about flights out of Cork, the choice that exists and the cost of a flight from Cork Airport as against Kerry or Waterford, they would say that they could fly from Farranfore to Dublin for half the price they would pay from Cork. Yet the Government talks about investment and making available the opportunity to reach destinations in the UK and Europe. Our city has fared very badly under this Government.
I wish to refer to the issue of MMDS and the promise by the Taoiseach on that fateful night prior to the by-election to get my good friend, the Minister of State, Deputy Coveney elected. On entering Government we will immediately give a temporary licence to South Coast Community Television.
A Fianna Fáil Minister impeded progress in that regard by signing an agreement on MMDS.
Two and a half years down the road there is a promise of a licence, but what sort of licence? It is promised a licence, if it meets certain criteria, to rebeam into any place other than Carrigaline which is the main centre of finance for that area.
Why did the Deputy not put in the boot when Deputy Ray Burke was Minister?
Deputy Sheehan should ask Deputy Jim Mitchell what he did in that respect when he was in office.
Fianna Fáil sold the country down the drain.
The people of Cork are expected to vote for this Government, given the false promises, the U-turns and the way it mishandled the whole issue of rebeaming.
Deputy Ray Burke as Minister was responsible for that. He sold South Coast Community Television down the drain.
The people of Carrigaline were given hope that they would get a licence, but two and a half years later there is only a half-baked effort from the Government that will get them nowhere. How will that station survive if it is allowed rebeam only into the surrounding rural areas and not into Carrigaline which is its base, its only hope of survival? The Minister, Deputy Dukes, has duped South Coast Community Television and the people of Carrigaline. It is our duty in Opposition to spell out clearly that the Government has mistreated the people and mishandled the whole issue and that in 1999 they will have a deteriorating picture.
Deputy O'Keeffe must have been asleep when the Minister signed the agreement.
Deputy Sheehan should not continue to interrupt.
Why give a licence for two years? More importantly, why did the Minister withdraw the protection of the courts from South Coast Community Television? Cablelink solicitors sent letters to individuals around the country intimidating them. Will we see a repeat of that for the people operating South Coast Community Television, with intimidating letters from a firm of solicitors in Dublin stating that if they continue in this way they will be responsible for certain charges? The Government said that people can stay on the air.
A Fianna Fáil Minister signed away the right of South Coast Community Television and the Deputy expects people to believe what he is saying.
The Taoiseach made a promise in this regard but did not deliver.
There was no good reason for removing from South Coast Community Television the protection of the court while the Minister considered granting a licence.
What is the Deputy proposing?
The Government has let down the people of Carrigaline. It made false promises to them and continues to try to hoodwink them in terms of granting a licence.
This is the first Government that has attempted to deal with a problem that is practically impossible to solve.
It was not impossible the night before the by-election.
It was not a problem. The Government could not see why the matter could not be dealt with.
Fianna Fáil sold South Coast Community Television down the drain.
The Deputy's party said two years ago that there was no difficulty in granting a licence.
What about live exports?
They will be resumed shortly, with no thanks to the Deputy's party.
Deputy Sheehan should be exported to Oileán Cléire.
One cannot get in.
When the Deputy's party went to Libya it was allowed in.
Perhaps we could leave the local scene out of the debate. The Deputy to continue, without interruption.
I wish to make two further points on the justice area. I have noticed in Cork when knocking on doors that elderly people will no longer answer or open them. The reason is that crime is rampant. The major failure of this Government is the ineptitude that has characterised the Department and the Minister for Justice. At every hand's turn she has been pushed and shoved into action. I will not speak about the Labour Party and how it brought to an end the prison building programme until eventually it took the death of a garda and a journalist to spur some type of action from the Government. Law and order is a major issue in Cork. Elderly people will not open their doors at night because of fear. I ask the two Ministers present from Cork to examine Garda manpower in Cork and compare it with the manpower in some counties that are mainly rural areas.
The Deputy's party closed down the rural Garda stations.
Every Garda station I have surveyed is understaffed by two or three gardaí.
Who created it? Fianna Fáil.
From time to time the Garda Commissioner has allocated extra gardaí to Dublin but few come to Cork. No effort has been made to redress the problem or to bring about a proper balance to ensure there are gardaí on the streets of Cork. The Minister is well aware of Curraheen, Haldeene, The Rise and the difficulties that pertain to traffic there. The Minister is also aware of the need for the Ballincollig bypass. When I learned of the £150,000 for the bypass earlier this year I thought it would solve our problem. However, with the Blackpool bypass we seem to be providing a bypass to a boreen rather than a proper road structure to cater for the needs of a fast expanding town. We must ensure that the major traffic problems and snarls up at Haldeene and The Rise, which will be exacerbated when the tunnel opens, are dealt with.
The Government has set a headline that Fianna Fáil will never copy.
The Government can hang its head in shame. It has failed to deliver for Cork in law and order, jobs, justice and health. It is an absolute disgrace. I wish to share my time with Deputy Quill.
I wish to speak specifically about unemployment which is the single biggest problem still outstanding in Cork, particularly in my constituency of Cork North Central. There is no crock of gold at the end of this Rainbow Coalition for Cork as far as the unemployed are concerned.Despite the economic growth elsewhere, the level of unemployment at just under 30,000 has remained virtually unchanged in the lifetime of this Government. In the city the number on the live register has fallen by one person per week since the rainbow Government came to power. In some areas of my constituency the rate of unemployment is as high as 50 per cent. One in every six men of working age in the city and county is on the dole and some 15 per cent, 5,000, of those under 25, in the city are on the dole. That is the statistical extent of the problem. I could talk about its human impact for a long time if I had more time.
We have the lowest rate of unemployment for the past nine years.
There will be no improvement in unemployment in my side of the city until and unless a significant investment is made in the physical infrastructure on the one hand and in the educational infrastructure on the other, both of which have been abysmally neglected in the lifetime of this Government. I condemn the Government for its failure to expedite the Blackpool bypass which is the economic life line to the north side of Cork City. Until that infrastructure is put in place there will be no substantial job generating investment in the north side of the city——
The work on the bypass is half done.
——either from overseas investors or domestic investors. It is a well established fact that the passport for any young person to a job is education. The educational infrastructure of the north side of the city has been seriously neglected in the lifetime of this Government. The critical investment in primary education in places such as Knocknaheeny, Mayfield and Gurranebraher has not been made in the past two and a half years. The disappointment felt by teachers and parents because of the failure of this Government to extend the breaking-the-cycle scheme to Knocknaheeny and Mayfield is palpable and will have a dramatic long-term adverse effect on the prospects for young people as they set out in their quest for jobs and in their effort to compete with young people from other parts of the city and county. It is a scandal that that simple and cost effective measure was not put in place in those areas, areas that have now been hit with third generation unemployment. If we are to begin to redress that situation we must begin in the primary schools and that has not happened.
Infrastructure and education are the key elements. It is little wonder that 71 per cent of all IDA jobs came to the greater Dublin area last year. When asked why they come to Dublin they say it is because of the road structure and education.If we are serious about unemployment in our city the investment ought to have been made there. Investment will not be made in that area until there is a change of Government and the people know that.
That will be a long time.
It is unthinkable in what the Tánaiste called the "abundant society" that there should be so much poverty and poverty of spirit particularly in relation to very young people——
One man has abandoned Cork.
——and the entitlement they ought to have to a fair start in life. I make a plea about how the Government could and ought to strengthen Apple Computer, the flagship industry in the north side of Cork city. The Minister for Education announced at one of the teacher conferences recently that she will invest £30 million in information technology in the next number of years for schools and education. I hope there are enough of us in key positions who will argue for Apple Computer and Cork and ensure that Apple Computer will supply the infrastructure to Irish schools in the same way as they supply to most European and many American schools. The least we could do for our city would be to boost Apple Computer for the years ahead.
I have referred to the imbalance between IDA job creation on the east coast and in Cork. There has been a huge imbalance in relation to hospitals. One statistic illustrates a wider point. The capital budget for Cork University Hospital — a regional hospital — in 1995 was £42 million while Beaumont Hospital received £76 million. St. James's hospital got £70 million and the Mater hospital got £52.59 million. Any one of those hospitals does not have the same range of specialties as Cork University Hospital yet the budget for Cork University Hospital was only £42 million.That is another illustration of the imbalance between the investment by the Government in Cork city and other parts of the country. The Celtic tiger may be alive and well but he has skirted Cork, with grave consequences for the people there. That is not to the Government's credit.
The Celtic tiger has lost his tail.
