I am trying to get from the Minister an indication of when he expects the environment to be right for the jobs to start coming. I want to know if he has endorsed the comments of the Tánaiste that in the meantime people should get off this island. When does the Minister think that the Tánaiste will be able to say that the people may come back? Basically, I want to know when it will all start. I regret the barracking from the Deputy.

When will the Tánaiste come back?

I am sure that the Tánaiste will be well capable of answering for himself in this House when he gets back from Europe. In relation to the Deputy's question, first, for the first half of this year and this is a well known fact — others have said this as well — the number of projects coming through the pipeline of industrial development was extremely small but in the last few weeks there has been an upsurge, which is a reflection of the decisiveness of the Government in giving the right image abroad in relation to the problems of tackling the financial situation. I am sure that the Deputy is only too well aware of the adverse comments made abroad before, during and after the General Election about the state of the Irish economy. It was referred to by the economists as a "third world economy unwilling and unable to face up to its responsibilities in tackling its financial problems." The situation is beginning to come right. This economy cannot be isolated from what is happening on foreign markets. There is at the moment a tendency for interest rates to edge up, but the publication of the Book of Estimates will at least stabilise the situation and give investment a chance to take place and from that jobs will flow. Investment today, jobs tomorrow.

I am going on to Question No. 11.