Senator Ray Butler referred to small and medium enterprises, as did Senator Maria Byrne. I will ask the relevant Minister to come to the House for a debate on the wider issue of business costs. It is not the case that Sinn Féin has created a policy, rather it is following ours.

Not at all. We called for a review of rates.

Ours is the pro-enterprise Government party that has worked to create jobs and help people to get back to work.

What did the Leader's party do in the other House for the past five years? It sat on its hands while businesses closed.

The Senator should look at the employment figures from the time it took office to where we are now.

The Leader's party did nothing on the issue of rates.

The Senator should ask his local authority members to work with us and our colleagues in government and local authorities to reduce the cost of business.

It needs to finish the rates review first.

What we do agree on is that small and medium enterprises are the country's lifeline-----

The Leader is all talk and no action.

Unlike the Senator's party, the Government has always been-----

It closed down rural Ireland during the past five years.

If the Senator and his party had their way, they would tax them to the hilt and not create jobs.

That is nonsense. It is not happening in the North of Ireland.

We should be serious about creating jobs. If the Senator wants to create jobs, let us do so. The Action Plan for Jobs is testimony to the commitment of this and the previous Government to job creation.

I ask the Leader and Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh to respect the Chair. They should not have a-----

I will happily have a debate on job creation because we have a very strong record in that regard.

I will bring the Senator to Clifden where he will see all of the closed shops.