Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

It has always been the interpretation, wish and determination of Government and the Minister for Finance to the effect that there is a job creation aspect to measures that are being brought forward in this Bill and indeed in other finance Bills. To go back to a point made by Deputy Noonan and reflected upon by Deputy Higgins, the social dimension is very much apparent. We only have to look at the areas of regeneration right around the country, say, Ballymun, Fatima, the Dublin docks, Limerick etc. to find that the social dimension is plain to be seen. Deputy Noonan knows that from his own city and we have seen the fruits of this already.

While there might have been some bad press about the Dublin Docks Development Authority in recent times, anybody can see that at this stage there is a whole new community there in the docks area. People who never would have sought second-level education are now in secondary school, and there are even people going on to third level in this area, which was unheard of ten or 15 years ago. Therefore there is a social dimension and a job creation aspect to finance Bills, as indeed there is in this one.

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