I also wanted to raise the issue of the health service plan. I thank the Tánaiste for his answer. There is a need for a full debate in the Chamber on the plan. It is important because of the various issues that arise and the austerity cuts contained in it.

My question for now is about a commitment in the programme for Government to develop sectoral job strategies, including a plan to create 20,000 additional manufacturing jobs. I am sure the Tánaiste knows that in the past four weeks 870 job losses have been announced in the pharmaceutical sector. This is a heavy blow for workers and their families and a further 150 job losses have been announced today in Newbridge. If my memory serves me correctly, the programme for Government states job retention is a crucial part of a job creation strategy. In the wake of these disappointing job losses, does the Government intend to review the jobs strategy committed to in the programme for Government?

There may well be grounds for reviewing the Government's jobs strategy. We are ahead of the job creation target we set in the Action Plan for Jobs - 100,000 jobs. We are now two thirds of the way through the period of that plan which is to last until the end of 2015 and are ahead of our targets. Obviously, I am concerned about the announcement made this morning in Newbridge and my thoughts are with the employees affected by it. Changes are taking place in the pharmaceutical sector. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and IDA Ireland are working with the industry and companies in the protection of employment, but they are also looking at where there are opportunities to create new employment.