Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The public sector has had a major exit in reducing numbers, its cost and its scale. Potential exists now for doing business in a different way, with technology and communications. It is the case - Deputy Boyd Barrett is right - that the responsibility of Government is to create that environment where jobs and investment can take place. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl referred to this also. We need to have our country focused on being competitive,export driven, creative and innovative. I am glad to see the investment made by previous Governments in research, innovation and education is now beginning to pay dividends. Whoever stands here in the next ten years will be in a very different world, with biotechnology, genetics, robotics, nanotechnology and medicine, the Internet and all of the changes that are coming at us with bewildering speed and that will create new jobs and new opportunities.

I had the opportunity on Sunday to meet Mr. Spielberg and hopefully another Oscar winner for the third time, Daniel Day Lewis, in respect of their major production of "Lincoln" and I hope it is an outstanding success. Mr. Spielberg made the point to me that the country offers enormous potential in that area by being consistent in terms of what we offer and having capacity for production. They are very pleased with the creative ingenuity of the Irish personality. Deputy Boyd Barrett accepts that from what has already been achieved over the years. That is why in the budget, section 431 was extended to 2020, giving an opportunity for investment. People of that stature and global influence say these are the things we need. They also say that in our education sector, either at university or the colleges of technology, we should be delving into the enormous potential of the digital era that is coming. That is just part of the process we have to deal with during the Presidency, the putting together of the digital Single Market.

It is all about jobs; Deputy Boyd Barrett and I are as one on this, which is a change. This is very important for every family in the country as we hope to move to a point where there is excitement again in young people's lives, where they can see opportunity and can understand that by difficult decisions having to be made, the consequence is international recognition of being competitive and of confidence in our indigenous economy. By sorting out our public finances, there will be the capacity to lend to businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, which will be the main creators of the next evolution of the Irish economy.

I hope that when this Administration has done its job, this will never happen again and we that we will have put in place a system that is streamlined, effective, competitive, where people's money does not go astray and where there is value for money. In Deputy Boyd Barrett's constituency and Deputy Higgins's constituency, people will be able to say there is an opportunity for job creation. That is what I saw in Tallaght the other day, in Sky's Dublin office and in Ashbourne. There is a growing sense that we have come through a very difficult time but I see higher ground ahead and it is the challenge of Government to assist those entrepreneurs, investors and workers who are prepared to say they will take a chance on this. Hopefully it will work out for them. Some will and some will not be successful but it is important we have that energy and drive evident in our economy and our society. I hope that is where we are leading to now.

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