Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

I thank my colleague, Deputy Bruton, Fine Gael's spokesperson on enterprise, for bringing forth this motion. There has been much rhetoric in this Chamber today, our first day of the new Dáil session. It is positive that we at least have some debate on the issues that actually matter. This is, as far as I am concerned, the only issue that matters, namely, the economy, the future of our economy, quality of life for our citizens and the prospect of returning to a situation whereby we can protect and create jobs for our people thus allowing them to remain here and not be forced to emigrate or join dole queues.

I pay tribute to Deputy Bruton. Had we listened to his contributions to various budgets in 2004, 2005, 2006 and to his warnings about the decline in competitiveness in our economy and our over-inflated property bubble, we could perhaps have avoided some of the unfortunate and devastating consequences which prevail all around the country today. I look forward to a time when Deputy Bruton will be on the other side of the House offering solutions to our economic crisis, as he does in this motion before us this evening.

I will not bother speaking about the Government's so-called jobs plan because it is a fallacy. Let us face it; it does not have any bearing or grounding in reality. If we are honest, no one can magic up jobs. There is no simple solution to job creation, a lesson we learned in the 1980s. Other countries have learned that lesson through various recessions. When one has an over-inflated Government, a Government that is wasteful and irresponsible in terms of how its spends money, a Government that is spending beyond its means, one cannot revert to competitiveness or job creation until that spending is brought under control and the conditions which allow competition to flourish and thrive are restored.

Fine Gael is this evening putting forward some solutions that will go a long way to achieving that objective, including our proposal in regard to PRSI. This is an important issue which the Government did not address in its previous two budgets. While I acknowledge that efforts have been made to curb public expenditure and try to get a handle on the public finances, the Government has not done anything to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises, restore competitiveness or make it easier for entrepreneurs to do business. I hope the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, and his colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, will make the enterprise sector a priority in the forthcoming budget.

At the beginning of the recession, almost 1 million people were employed in small and medium-sized enterprises. As Deputies are aware, this figure is declining at a rapid rate. Unless we create conditions to assist such enterprises, job creation in the private sector will go into terminal decline. The only way to return to economic and employment growth is to support and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit prevalent in this State.

I hope the Government will address the issue of commercial rates, which are crippling business, particularly in the capital city and greater Dublin region. I consider it immoral that, other than bin charges for waste collection, I do not pay for any services in my local area. It is unfair and unacceptable that businesses pay for all the services from which citizens benefit. I hope the Government will consider this issue. I commend the motion to the House.

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