Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)

As Deputy White said, this is all about jobs. In the run up to the last election Members on this side of the House promised initiatives to create jobs. This is one such initiative. For the future of confidence in politics in our State it is increasingly important that politicians, following elections, do what they promised during the election. I am happy to commend this Bill as one important promise on which Members on this side of the House are following through.

The initiatives in this Bill have been widely welcomed in my constituency of County Clare by those who create jobs in the tourism sector. According to the Shannon branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, it could save the season in 2011 and is one of the most pro-tourism initiatives from Government in the past ten years. It is a good first step to recovery, an important one, and is commendable on that basis. The initiative includes the suspension of the air travel tax, the reduction in the VAT rate from 13.5% to 9% for tourism related services, the introduction of a new scheme of discounts on airport charges, a major tourism marketing campaign and a visa waiver programme in an effort to entice tourists travelling to the UK for the London Olympics next year to include Ireland in their itineraries. In this regard, it is important to stress the proximity of Ireland and our major airports, including Shannon and Dublin Airports, to Stansted Airport, which is the nearest airport to the London Olympics site. The sports facilities of Limerick University, part of which is currently in County Clare and which I hope will remain in County Clare following the announcements of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, could be utilised and must be marketed by our airlines and those who have sports facilities in the midwest region.

The jobs initiative has prompted a change in thinking in local as well as national government, which is to be welcomed. I am pleased to learn that Kilrush town council has announced a retail incentive scheme in Moore Street, Kilrush, to incentivise retailers to occupy empty retail premises in the town. In this regard, a grant of 50% of the rates applicable to the premises is envisaged in year one and a grant of 25% is envisaged in year two. It is proposed that this initiative, which I welcome, if successful will be replicated in other local authority areas in County Clare and beyond.

As Deputy White pointed out additional funding is being made available for road schemes, which is important in the context of people being able to travel to and from work and retail premises. Also, the repair of roads will generate jobs. More than €60 million has been set aside for regional and local road investment schemes, of which €2.5 million has been set aside for County Clare, which I welcome. In this regard, the Department of Transport has published a list of roads in each local authority area. However, it is important to stress that this list is provisional and that there is scope for county councils and local authorities to prioritise roads in their areas which may be lower down on the list. It is important that county councils and local authorities examine their lists and identify the roads most important to economic growth in their areas in the context of people being able to travel to retail premises and so on. Retailers on Moore Street, Kilrush, recently highlighted the fact that the bad state of roads there is forcing people out of the centre of the town into shopping centres run by large multinationals. In that regard, I call upon local authorities to prioritise for improvement roads leading to the centres of our towns as this will benefit retail outlets which create employment.

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