Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

We look to those businesses to create employment opportunities for the future. They are vital and we cannot pretend that the competitiveness of those sectors, be it in terms of rents or wages, is not important. We need to confront these issues and try to create more opportunities in those sectors.

The review was clear that these sectors have been particularly affected by the recession. Deputy Higgins cited the absolute collapse in them. Some 60% of jobs in the building industry have gone.

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