Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed)
2:00 am
Mr. Ian Talbot:
It is not that difficult a question. Yes, it was a budget that supported jobs. Ten or 15 years ago, the Government at the time stripped everything it could out of capital expenditure and we are still suffering from that. Huge investment continues to be made in infrastructure, including tucking away some money in case there is a future crisis. There is an element of protecting jobs in the medium to long term in everything we are doing here. There might be a slightly nuanced answer regarding the short term. It certainly was a budget that protects the long-term economy. I will send Deputy Hayes a copy of our centenary book. He asked for it.