Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The initiative announced yesterday is what it says - an initiative to stimulate investment and job creation in our economy. I make no bones about saying how this is being funded, nor did I yesterday. As the Deputy is aware, pension funds have been the subject of massive tax concessions which have allowed them to be built up over the years. This is not a tax on any individual pension; it is a levy on the funds of a very modest 0.6% over four years. It is a temporary measure designed to stimulate the indigenous economy.

Everybody shares the view that our exports are strong. That is how it should be and that is how we want it to continue. For example, for Enterprise Ireland, whose representatives I met last week in New York, and quite a number of the companies to which it is providing grant aid under already voted moneys, this initiative is an addition to what is already happening. The Deputy is aware of the projected levels of export growth for this country. I see the ESRI has projected growth of 2% of this year, which is to be welcomed. However, these are only reports. All we can do is to continue to remove the red tape and obstacles to employment and drive forward our ambition for more and more people to get into the world of work, many of them in the export business.

I am not clear what information the Deputy is looking for.

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