Vol. 589 No. 5
1 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will assess the impact of cuts in the community employment scheme on areas of disadvantage; if he will consider reversing these cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23792/04]
The primary purpose of community employment is to provide work experience and training opportunities for the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups. The total funding allocation for employment schemes in 2004 was fixed at €351 million, which is similar to the level of funding provided in 2003. This allocation supports 25,000 places across the three FÁS employment schemes — community employment, social economy and the jobs initiative. The number of funded places is similar to the number of participants at year-end 2003 and no reductions have taken place in the overall participation levels in these schemes in 2004.
While there have been reductions in previous years in the number of places available, in line with the reduced number of unemployed, the critical service delivery areas of health and child care, and drugs task force services have been ring-fenced and maintained at the 2002 levels, at approximately 6,000 places. FÁS has endeavoured to support local communities in the services they wish to deliver while keeping the scheme's focus on securing jobs for participants in the open labour market.
Target participation rates for 2005 will be considered in the context of the ongoing review of active labour market programmes and the budget allocation for FÁS programmes in 2005. Extensive consultation with the social partners and key stakeholders has taken place on the future direction of community employment schemes and other FÁS labour market programmes. I hope to conclude this process shortly.
I wish Deputy Martin well in his new ministerial post. However, with all due respect, his reply shows that he has not engaged in any consultation on community employment schemes with his new Department or FÁS. The reply is the same litany we received from his predecessor, the Tánaiste, and the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey. I note the community employment, social economy and jobs initiative schemes have been amalgamated to make the figures look better. However, the reduction of 5,000 places in the 2004 Estimates is hitting the voluntary sector and various community efforts hard, with sponsors becoming concerned. Will the Minister take his courage in his hands and ring-fence the number of places at 2003 levels? Government backbenchers are demanding this. It will give some comfort and recognition to the great work these schemes achieve.
The Minister must also examine the three year cap. In some areas, particularly rural ones, if the cap is not removed, the number of places will not be available when there is higher unemployment. However, a category of people, particularly the over 50s, will not get employment elsewhere. We are looking for modest changes that will make a meaningful impact on communities. I ask the Minister to review the response he received from the "permanent Government" and make a political decision in the interests of community groups.
The consultation paper went out in July and various options are being considered. I have already met with the chief executive of FÁS and the departmental team responsible for this matter to discuss the issue. It is only fair that we await the submissions from the various interest groups. The same levels applied in 2004 as in 2003 for the three schemes. Any reductions were prior to this.
Actual community employment scheme places have been reduced.
The three year cap issue has been identified by many as an issue. However, the scheme is not just about numbers but also the policy context within which the schemes are operated. There is a labour market component to these schemes in moving people from long-term unemployment. Those figures have been greatly reduced due to Government successes on the economic front but there is still a category of long-term unemployed. We must not forget the concept of progressing from community employment to full employment.
The long-term unemployment rate is growing.
It is fair to acknowledge that, as the schemes have evolved, they have had a strong community and social impact. I want to see that reflected in any decisions made on the schemes. By the end of the year the situation will be resolved.
The Minister will be aware from his conversations with the chief executive of FÁS that he is opposed to the existing policy. From correspondence I have received from him, he has proved that his mind is made up on the number of places and what the long-term unemployed should be doing. A political decision must be taken. What is the Minister's view on the future of the community employment schemes? Does he believe the policy should be changed? Enough consultations and internal reviews were carried out by his predecessor. Deputy Martin was also good at that practice in the Department of Health and Children. Will the Minister tell the House that he is personally committed to ensuring the retention of places on the community employment schemes on behalf of community groups at 2003 levels?
There is no question about the continuation of community employment schemes.
I asked about the number of places available.
The Government is committed to them.
It is not.
My predecessor issued a consultation paper in July. It is only fair that the interested parties can make their observations on the scheme before a unilateral decision is made. I accept that, while the chief executives of FÁS and Forfás have perspectives on these issues, they do not dictate to the Government but work with it.
2 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action he has taken or intends to take arising from the report of the High Court inspectors into the affairs of a bank (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23790/04]
The inspectors appointed to National Irish Bank Limited and National Irish Bank Financial Services Limited, on application by the Minister under section 8 of the Companies Act 1990, presented their report to the High Court on 12 July 2004. The court furnished a copy of the report to the Director of Corporate Enforcement, as required by section 11 of the 1990 Act. The report was subsequently published on the order of the court. The court also ordered that a copy of the report be sent to relevant authorities, including the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority, the Revenue Commissioners and the Director of Public Prosecutions. Primary responsibility for follow up action on the matters raised in the report rests with the various statutory agencies.
Following the commencement of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001, it is now the statutory responsibility of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to pursue the possible breaches of the Companies Acts identified in the report. The Act requires the director to perform his functions with respect to the Companies Acts on an independent basis. It is not, therefore, the practice of the director to report to me on any individual case or issue which is the subject of examination by his office. However, the director has emphasised his determination to take appropriate action on foot of the report.
The report further confirmed the concerns the Tánaiste and the Government had for some time about the extent to which companies and their officers complied with the requirements of company and other law. However, the Tánaiste did not wait for the completion of this or other reports before taking action to ensure that any regulatory failures coming within the Minister's area of responsibility were dealt with.
Within my area of responsibility, various initiatives have been taken in recent years to improve the regulatory framework. These include proactive enforcement of the provisions of company law by the establishment and resourcing of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement; increased penalties and additional resources to ensure companies meet their filing obligations with the Companies Registration Office; better oversight and regulation of the accounting and auditing profession by the proposed establishment of the Irish auditing and accounting supervisory authority; establishment of the company law review group on a statutory footing to ensure that the provisions of our company law are appropriate to the needs of Irish society; the introduction in the most recent Companies Act of new requirements on company directors of significant corporate entities to prepare an annual statement in respect of the company's compliance with company, tax and other key legislation.
The Government has also strengthened the regulation of the financial services sector in two Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Acts in 2003 and 2004, including the establishment of the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority.
I wish the Minister and his Ministers of State well in their new responsibilities. Obviously, we must give the Minister some leeway to read himself into the brief but it is disappointing that in his replies to the two questions so far, the civil servants are winning the argument. Perhaps things will change in the future.
The Minister has outlined the situation with NIB. That was an absolute scandal which rocked public confidence in the banking system to its core. The Tánaiste said, on publication of the report, that too many people, including the bank itself, saw themselves as above the law and believed they could get away with what they did. What action has the Minister taken since his appointment to acquaint himself with the full implications of the report? Has he sought a meeting with the Director of Corporate Enforcement? Does the director have legal responsibility to report to the Minister on this matter? Does the Minister see it as his responsibility to ensure that the banking institutions in the State have public confidence and that where there is flouting of the law, as was clearly evident in the inspectors' reports, people will be called to account?
Legislative changes were mentioned in the Tánaiste's statement in July. What progress has been made by the Department since July in dealing with that and when will specific proposals be brought before the House?
I must take issue with the Deputy. Obviously, I share his concerns about the findings in this report. However, with regard to the issues and the role of the courts and the director, the director is independent in his function of pursuing these issues, as are the relevant authorities. The key issue now is that any breaches that may have occurred are properly prosecuted by the respective authorities. That is happening in this case.
The courts ordered that this report be sent to the relevant authorities, including IFSRA, the Revenue Commissioners and the Director of Public Prosecutions. The primary responsibility for follow-up action on this report is with those authorities, given the serious and grave matters raised in the report across the wide range of issues investigated. I have read the report. It was issued prior to the August bank holiday weekend and I recall publicly commenting at that time on RTE about the issues.
The Tánaiste took many pre-emptive actions in terms of legislative responses, not least with the establishment and resourcing of the office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. Other legislation has also been passed and recent statistics show that this is beginning to show results. The Companies Registration Office, for example, reported for last year that 14 companies and 39 directors were convicted for breaches of company law. The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement reported that last year the number of convictions for breaches of company law had doubled. There were 45 successful prosecutions for company law offences and hundreds more cases are due before the courts. There was also an increase in directors being restricted from 25 in 2002 to 164 in 2003. The legislative measures put in place are beginning to bear fruit.
Is the Minister aware that today at a conference in Wexford the General Secretary of the Irish Bank Officials Association said there is something rotten at the core of banking in Ireland? Does he have a response to that statement? Is the Minister saying he is content that all that can be done to bring those who were complicit in wrongdoing to account is being done and that he believes there is nothing further he or his Department can do? Will he also confirm that he proposes to bring no further legislative improvements to the House?
As I said, there will be further legislation on company law in the future. However, with regard to this issue, it was this Government that took the initial decision to establish the investigation on foot of some good work undertaken by RTE in the context of NIB. The Tánaiste took resolute action in establishing this comprehensive investigation and it has produced significant results. It is not a question of being content that it is being referred further. It is now a matter for due process and politicians and Departments are not the correct vehicle for prosecuting breaches of the law.
3 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to implement the recommendations of the enterprise strategy group which reported in July 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23788/04]
4 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he will take to address concerns expressed by the enterprise strategy group and the national competitiveness council regarding the need to streamline the system of regulation affecting key sectors in the economy to ensure that competition is at the centre of the regulators’ focus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23793/04]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.
Towards the end of 2003 my predecessor, the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney, established the enterprise strategy group, under the chairmanship of Mr. Eoin O'Driscoll, to undertake an examination of enterprise strategy. The group was tasked with identifying a comprehensive approach to sustain employment and maintain our economic growth while facilitating a transformation to a knowledge based and innovation driven economy.
The Government considered the report of the enterprise strategy group in advance of its publication on 7 July last. In view of the extensive recommendations and their impact on a range of Departments other than my own, the Government decided to set up a high level group to consider the implications of the report and the best manner to address its recommendations. The group is finalising its report and I expect to report to Government on its work shortly. It would not be appropriate for me to make further detailed comment before reporting to my Cabinet colleagues.
The enterprise strategy group's recommendations aim to provide the economy with the capacity to quickly act against emerging threats to business and to exploit the new opportunities being presented by technological developments and business internationalisation. Its recommendations come at a potential turning point in the trend of economic development. We are currently enjoying the benefits of sustained economic expansion but our past success, while providing a platform for future growth, does not guarantee that growth. Fundamental changes are taking place in the international business environment. These present exciting new opportunities and some formidable competitive challenges but never easy or simple choices, either for business or Government.
With regard to streamlining the system of regulation affecting key sectors in the economy, I am strongly supportive of encouraging competition in all sectors of the economy and I will give serious consideration to any proposed measures aimed at promoting this objective. Indeed, in this regard the Competition Authority has already concluded co-operation agreements with each of the sectoral regulators. The purpose of these co-operation agreements is to ensure a consistent approach, to avoid duplication between the actions of the authority and the bodies concerned and to keep competition at the centre of the regulators' focus.
I believe these agreements will have the desired effect and that the Competition Authority will keep matters under close scrutiny. I have met Eoin O'Driscoll and Forfás and have had preliminary discussions on the strategy and the road map forward.
I wish the Minister the best of luck with his new portfolio. His success with it will benefit the entire country. One of the main findings in the report, which shocked me, was in a table on page 6. It contained a graph showing the remarkable success of this country in exports from foreign investment industry. However, there has effectively been no growth in exports from indigenous industry over the past 14 or 15 years. Was the Minister shocked and concerned by that finding which I had not seen previously? I believe it was an unpublished figure.
The Minister seems to be saying we are going to have a report to analyse the report and that he cannot really discuss anything here until he has received that report. I have a slight fear that we are heading in the same direction which was, in a sense, a failure to take on board the lessons or the points made in the Culliton and Telesis reports which said that we needed to develop our enterprise sectors. The table to which I referred shows that we have completely failed to do that. I am slightly concerned that the Minister is now telling us that he is waiting for a further report.
I refer to an area which is covered by the Minister's Department, so he can, in a sense, have an opinion on it, and which does not affect his Cabinet colleagues. There is a number of recommendations in the report regarding internal structures within Enterprise Ireland, for example, that it would have a separate, new technology Ireland section and a special export Ireland section, that Shannon Development would have a remit within Enterprise Ireland and that the city and county development boards would also have a central function within Enterprise Ireland. The Minister may not be able to answer for his Cabinet colleagues but, in the area for which he has full responsibility, Enterprise Ireland and its structures, does he intend to implement those four basic recommendations of the report? Do we need another report to examine that report?
I strongly endorse the report, which is excellent. There is no point reinventing the wheel in terms of going around the analysis. The analysis is excellent and there is a series of recommendations but it makes absolute sense in that there is no point publishing a report with recommendations and leaving it there. One must engage all the players and that includes other Departments as it does Enterprise Ireland and those involved in the business. This is not a long piece of work but a relatively short one. However, this is a very substantive issue. The Deputy is correct in identifying the issue of indigenous industry and enterprise strategy for same as perhaps being the critical policy issue for which I will have responsibility. I believe it is one of the big ticket items going forward. Therefore, one does not just publish a report and leave it there.
The report analyses both the strengths and the weaknesses. It says very clearly that in terms of manufacturing and operations, we are nearly world class at this stage and that our basic general education system has served us very well. However, it identifies core weaknesses in terms of sales and marketing capability, particularly in regard to Irish owned firms competing abroad, and the lack of research and development as a core part of indigenous enterprise and so forth. It is basically saying that if we want to remain competitive into the future, we need to go after a range of issues, niches and sectors.
There is a need to look at the skills sets within Enterprise Ireland in terms of achieving those objectives and ensuring Enterprise Ireland has the necessary scope, capacity and skills sets to move up the league in regard to sales and marketing capability and in the other areas identified. I met the chief executive officer of Enterprise Ireland and it is already in the process of change. He was very clear in terms of the strategic direction of that organisation. Obviously, there is a certain dovetailing between that and what the enterprise strategy group has produced.
I refer to the question on regulators. Since many of the regulators have been appointed, it has seemed to mean higher prices for consumers, particularly in the energy sector. Today I see reports of another increase in energy prices by the energy regulator, Mr. Reeves. The enterprise strategy group recommended the bringing together of all the regulators rather than having empire building, which is going on at present, and no co-ordination on cross-cutting issues in regard to the various sectors. In the interest of the consumer and of costs and prices, which are out of control, there should be an amalgamation of the groups under some body, such as the Competition Authority, which would protect consumer and business interests and ensure the prices of goods and services are taken into account rather than what is happening at present. Rip-off Ireland is alive and well. We are living in the most expensive country in Europe. Will the Minister instigate a review of the regulators? When will he implement the recommendation of the enterprise strategy group on the amalgamation and co-ordination of the regulators?
Decisions of that kind will fall to Government. There are other Ministers involved in that particular sectoral regulators come under the aegis of their Departments. I would be broadly sympathetic to the recommendation in the report and to the Deputy's comments in terms of the desirability of having an overarching structure for regulation which would allow for a critical mass of skills, particularly where similar skills sets are required by the various sectoral regulators. That is a recommendation which must be pursued with my colleagues in Government and with those involved. I know the Competition Authority has already concluded agreements with the various sectoral regulators.
I have another concern in regard to the research and development we have done. Does the Minister share the concern that research spending at present tends to be in areas of use to the larger multinational, foreign owned companies, for example, in the area of bio-pharmacy, biopharmaceuticals and so on? The investment in that area is welcome but the research spending tends to favour those large multinational rather than indigenous companies. Will the Minister carry out a review of our research and development spending to try to steer it towards research spending which would have a real affect for small, indigenous Irish companies?
Returning to the Enterprise Ireland structures, the recommendations in the report are fairly clear, for example, whether Shannon Development has a link. To whom must the Minister go to make a decision on that, or can he do so?
Does the Minister have a view on the sectors of the economy that require to be opened to competition? Has he considered any action to open those areas to competition in light of the failure of the current regulatory system?
There are two parliamentary questions on Shannon Development, so perhaps we could deal with it later.
Deputy Eamon Ryan asked about research and its emphasis on the major players. We need to be careful that we do not divide in too simplistic a fashion the large multinational from the indigenous firm. There is a relationship between the two. The degree to which we have attracted foreign, direct investment has impacted on the growth of indigenous firms in terms of supply and skills derived from the multinational side. Clearly, some of the major projects which have emerged from Science Foundation Ireland, the centres for science, engineering and technology, will have a significant bearing on enabling us to attract some of the major bio-pharma entities and projects to this country, which is very desirable. What that type of research is doing for the universities is equally critical, that is, developing multi-faculty, multi-disciplinary research and changing the strategic direction of universities in terms of different faculties working together, concentrating on their strengths and governance systems etc. All that is for the good. The challenge for smaller and Irish owned industry is to develop the culture of a commitment to research and development within small industry and then, through Enterprise Ireland, the institutes of technology and the universities, to work more on the applied research to see if the research can be more directly applicable to the type of activities in which small industries are involved.
Ceist Uimh. 5.
On a point of order, I think there is a small amount of time left in this section.
There is not. We have only got through four priority questions in a half an hour. The Chair has been lenient and has been neglecting his duty today.
5 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his strategy for supporting employment and creating jobs in unemployment blackspots within the southern and eastern regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23791/04]
Balanced regional development is a significant focus of Government policy. Its importance has been confirmed in the current national development plan and the national spatial strategy. Our objective is to develop the strategy to enable as many areas as possible to share the benefits of regional development. The State development agencies are working to ensure the key centres under the NSS, such as Wexford, Waterford and others in the south and east region, play a cohesive contributory role in promoting strong regional development.
The enterprise development agencies have had a good deal of success in attracting higher value enterprises to the region, in line with our policy of moving enterprise in Ireland to the higher value output of products and services. These successes are reflected in the southern and eastern region, as recent announcements such as Guidant's expansion in Clonmel, Altera in Cork and ALZA's recent opening in Cashel attest. We are also accelerating delivery of economic infrastructure for businesses, including broadband, roads etc.
While IDA Ireland is actively marketing the region as a prime location for new investment, it is also working with other agencies to spread the regional benefits of foreign direct investment. For example, last June Enterprise Ireland held a seminar in Cork to inform potential supply partners of opportunities relating to the construction and operation of the ALTANA Pharma plant in Cork, in effect, maximising the potential for indigenous firms across the region to capture new business from foreign investments.
In addition to attracting foreign investment, a focus of our strategy is to support the development of new vibrant Irish enterprises built on successfully harnessing the creativity and innovation of home grown entrepreneurs. State support for entrepreneurship, through Enterprise Ireland, is clearly centred on the creation of new entrepreneur-led business entities with a solid base in innovation, intellectual capital and the capability to become internationally competitive.
In the past five years in the southern and eastern region, over 210 high potential start-up companies have been supported by Enterprise Ireland with a further 49 targeted for the region for 2004. Enterprise Ireland's competitiveness fund designed to help companies overcome distinctive competitiveness problems, has approved €5.8 million for companies in the region. This is almost 50% of fund approvals to date.
Some areas within the region have not fared as well as others in enterprise development. To help address this, the Wexford County Enterprise Board operates a technology transfer programme under the EU EnAct initiative to help small businesses bring more technology into their operations. The board also provided over €400,000 in grants to support Wexford micro enterprises last year. Over the past four years, Enterprise Ireland, through the community enterprise centre programme helped 32 projects establish and expand enterprises with community participation. Many of these are in areas of deprivation and high unemployment or in areas where there was a low level of enterprise culture. The agency is now developing the programme further by building networks of enterprise centre managers to share knowledge and instigate other co-operation activities.
Many regional locations can suffer badly from the loss of one industry and replacement of the inevitable losses is a tough challenge. I cannot and will not be complacent about job losses. Every effort is made to find replacement enterprise and provide appropriate supports to reorientate those who have been affected by redundancy. By encouraging infrastructural development and taking advantage of improvements in infrastructure to expand the number of alternative locations Ireland can offer investors, opportunities for overall investment levels will be enhanced and a more even geographic distribution of enterprise investment will be achieved. I am satisfied that the continuing and intensive efforts of the agencies, the modification of enterprise policies to reflect the reality of the global marketplace and the ongoing commitment of the Government to regional development are positive supports to help stimulate further employment opportunities in the region.
I am afraid I am no wiser after the long answer the Minister put on the record of the House. The issue is a straightforward one, that is, within the so-called developed region, the southern and eastern region, there are economic blackspots whose manufacturing base in particular is well below the average for the rest of the region. Areas such as County Wexford which the Minister instanced would qualify for membership of the BMW region if it was contiguous with that area rather than being surrounded by more affluent counties like Deputy Hogan's which did not allow that to happen.
I have received no evidence of a clear strategy from the Minister to deal with blackspots within the so-called developed region. There are specific inducements to bring industry into the BMW region, which I do not in any way want to undercut, but there are other areas that deserve a similar specific approach from the Government in regard to job creation within the so-called developed region. I am sure the same would apply to areas of Cork city.
Will the Minister develop a sub-focus within the so-called developed region that will address the haemorrhaging of jobs? In the past ten days in Wexford, Spring and Precision Engineering and the P&O Company are just two employers to pull out and there has been no replacements in recent years of the county's already impoverished manufacturing base. There needs to be a specific target above the task force that was established and the enterprise groups that are common to every county to address in a focused way the delivery of jobs to areas that need them. I do not expect the Minister to have had an opportunity to do much to date, but will he undertake to the House that the development of a dovetailed strategy to deal with blackspots within the so-called developed region will be a priority for him?
Those areas will clearly be areas of priority for me. However, I would not be dismissive of the initiatives to date or the fundamental response to the question.
No jobs are coming, that is the problem.
I have been through this in my area, albeit in the 1980s when some major manufacturing companies closed. The one thing we learned at that time is that there was not a big bang response, that one did have to change strategy, to go back and reconfigure. I see skill-sets as being the critical area. It is not sexy to say this and it does not give consolation to those who have lost jobs, but clearly training and education are the priority in terms of reorientating and repositioning an area to secure and attract industry.
Clearly there are certain infrastructural changes one can make to try to improve the overall infrastructure of a community. To be fair to Enterprise Ireland in terms of the enterprise centres, one can adopt a strategy to try to put expertise on the ground in the unemployment blackspot areas to act as a catalyst and a support to entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses. That is happening and if there is a degree to which we can improve, as far as I am concerned my door is open to those with ideas.
We should not lose sight of the overarching strategy. The spatial strategy offers us an opportunity, especially in the southern and eastern regions, to become a new magnet. Maybe a change of mind is necessary in the regions because, unfortunately, within regions centres see each other as rivals as opposed to seeing themselves as one region. I have seen this in different areas in which I have worked. As we know, the magnet is to the east, to Dublin and beyond, which is where the focus of economic activity is located. The only way we can reverse that trend is by the major centres working together. Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny have been identified in the spatial strategy as a triangle that should see itself as an identifiable region and work in a combined way to attract industry.
We have no spatial strategy. It is being ignored.
I welcome what the Minister has said but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. We have done the analysis. For example, it was said that we provided a road system in Wexford that is among the best in the country. We also provided a site with an adequate water supply but it has not worked. We need to do an analysis of why the manufacturing base is so low when traditionally we have had a very high manufacturing base almost from the 19th century.
There does not yet appear to be a specific subset of policies that sees blackspots within the developed region and the pressure appears to be on developing the BMW region which clearly must have a priority in terms of the totality of the southern and eastern region. I instance Wexford because it is the area I know best but there are other blackspots within that developed region that need more than the general approach we have had to date. When unemployment rates are at such a good low base as we now have, we can afford to go that extra focused mile to ensure that everybody benefits equally. Otherwise we will have regions that are simply service regions that provide dormitory facilities for workers to travel to contiguous urban centres. That is something we should try to avoid.
I do not have a difficulty with the broad position the Deputy has adopted, other than to say that it is interesting, even in the context of the BMW region, notwithstanding the additional grants that are at the disposal of the State to award, that the bulk of foreign direct investment has still headed to the east in any event.
To some section of the east.
The grant issue is no longer the pre-eminent issue in terms of where a particular industry will locate. As state aid rules are revised in the European context, I suggest we need to look in other directions to create the conditions to secure an investment in a particular location of the type the Deputy is suggesting. The Deputy is clearly aware that the traditional sectors are under pressure and moving to low-cost bases. In a globalised economy that is inevitable. They key for us is to try to move up the value chain to see whether we can create employment of a different kind in these locations.
