Mr. Neale Richmond:

Unlike Councillor Stenson, I only have to get the Luas home so the committee is stuck with me for as long as it will put up with me. There are a couple of points I will address in as chronological an order as I can. The regional spread and aspect of the Action Plan for Jobs was raised. It is something we have seen quite a bit in the three years since the Action Plan for Jobs was launched. It was initially focused on the larger urban areas, and definitely Dublin, which was probably necessary to restore the holes and go not for the quick fixes but for areas where it was easier to attract jobs straight after the crash. However, we are starting to see that improve with, for example, Centre Parcs in Longford, which sounds brilliant to me. There is an entire strategy for the midlands which is due to come on stream, we are told by the Government, in the coming months. That could add a great deal to the regional aspect of the Action Plan for Jobs. It is something that is greatly needed. As my colleagues have mentioned, the co-operation between Enterprise Ireland and the IDA has been top class in terms of bringing in jobs. We see the people going across to foreign countries and operating within the internal market to attract investment. They are going out flying the flag and wearing the jersey. It is something of which we should be very proud and to see a regional dimension come into it is definitely welcome. It will allow for longer-term sustainable growth.

Deputy Durkan mentioned an anchor investor but as Councillor Stenson mentioned in the cases of MBNA and, Councillor Maria Byrne will probably not thank me for saying it, Dell, we saw the risks that come with putting all our apples with one big anchor investor. We feel a cluster of investors is required. It is about having an area for the region where a number of companies come in, not just a large one-stop shop on which a whole town or city relies. It is about a couple of companies starting from SMEs, which are the backbone of the European economy, building up to the larger ones. They all feed in, tying into third level institutions and also second level with whatever training programmes are there. That is where the local authorities come in.

The issue about disposable income after taxation, which Senator Hayden raised, is extremely apparent in Dublin, especially when it comes to the housing crisis. The housing crisis is at all levels. It is an affordable housing crisis as much as a social housing crisis. It is the generation to which I belong which is looking to get a foot on the property ladder. Let us face the fact that Irish people are addicted to owning property. We must face that as an aspect of our culture. When one is going out looking at mortgage compared to rental options in Dublin, it is simply cheaper to get a mortgage per month than to pay out rent, especially for a three-bedroom semi-detached house or two-bedroom apartment.

I do not know how popular I will be with Councillor Maria Byrne for saying that what we would like to see is local authorities and the Government playing a balancing act on the local property tax. It is something that is coming up repeatedly. On my authority of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, which Senator Hayden will know, we reduced the property tax by 15%, as did Dublin City Council, in our first year since the local elections. We were able to do it - the funds were in place - even though we only got to hold on to 80% of our property tax. We cannot do that again for four years. That is done. We do not know what the property market will do and what sort of measures the Government will introduce on the revaluation of properties, especially in Dublin. We have reduced the property tax by 15%, but in many places in Dublin property values have gone up 30% since the original revaluation. Is the solution from central government and the Minister for Finance simply to freeze the valuation of properties as is at the rate, or is it to give local authorities in Dublin the opportunity to reduce it or increase it as much as they see fit in order to produce the services they need? That is something that could address Dublin-specific concerns around disposable income. I know a great many people who noticed that 15% coming off their bills this year.

Deputy Crowe made some comments and suggestions. When we go over to Brussels, we go as a delegation of nine Irish people having met beforehand. Therefore, when Councillor Stenson and Councillor McCarthy from Cork were tabling amendments last week, we were able to back them.