Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I do not want to give out about the IMF or the European Union, or the actions of the previous Government. The Deputy should know of some of the things the Government has done: it provided for a reversal of the cut in the minimum wage from 1 July; the lower rate of employers' PRSI was halved from 1 July; the VAT rate on tourism-related services was cut by one third from 1 July; the new national internship scheme with 5,000 places commenced in July; there is an extra 15,900 places in further education and training programmes; there is the new national employment and entitlements service to replace FÁS; there is an extra €75 million for shovel-ready transport projects to create 1,000 jobs; there is an extra €40 million for the 2011 summer works scheme for 453 schools to create 2,400 jobs; extra funding has been committed for an applied research centre in cloud computing and also a new energy research centre; there is a new support programme for home energy retrofitting to create an estimated 2,000 jobs; there is a visa waiver programme for certain short stay visitors; substantial work has been completed on the implementation of the NewEra investment plan; there is a new memorandum of understanding between China and Ireland on sharing expertise in food safety, laboratory controls, veterinary systems, animal husbandry and the seafood sector which will foster stronger trade links; the national procurement service website for buyers and suppliers was launched; there has been a comprehensive restructuring and recapitalisation plan for the banking system to release at least €30 billion in new domestic lending in the period 2011 to 2013; there has been the merger of AIB and the EBS; there is to be the commencement of tendering for a temporary partial credit guarantee scheme for SMEs, to be introduced in the autumn, with direct implications for small business; there have been significant advances in burden-sharing with bondholders; there has been ongoing replacement of pre-September 2008 bank directors; legislation has been published to tackle white collar crime; in respect of the public finances, a comprehensive review of expenditure has commenced and is practically completed; a review of the capital programme has commenced; borrowing targets are on track; there has been the enactment of the Finance (No. 2) Bill - the jobs initiative; there has been the publication of the Finance (No. 3) Bill dealing with civil partnership; we have delivered targeted payroll reductions under the Croke Park agreement; there has been successful completion of the first and second quarterly programme review mission with the European Commission, the ECB and the IMF; we have renegotiated the programme of support to accommodate the jobs initiative; we have secured the support of the troika for an interest rate reduction; we have secured troika support for a managed and orderly downsizing of the banking system to avoid excessive fire sale losses and limit taxpayer support; ambassadors have been recalled to Dublin for a summit on Ireland's response to the crisis; an extensive programme of bilateral meetings aimed at repairing Ireland's international reputation and re-engaging with key EU and international partners is under way; there have been pay cuts for the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Ministers; there has been a halving of the cost of ministerial transport; there has been new legislation for the effective banning of corporate donations, to cut the number of Deputies at the next general election, and on other political reforms, including increasing female participation in politics, new six-month time limits for by-elections and lower spending limits for presidential elections; there has been measures to increase the number of Dáil sitting days by more than 33% by cutting the length of Dáil holidays-----

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