Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Of course, I understand the challenges so many people have had to face with the challenges of the past three budgets. This has not been easy for so many people but that is why the Government has introduced a whole raft of opportunities for those in mortgage distress to be dealt with, for small businesses to have access to credit and for opportunities to take people off the live register and put them into the world of work. The situation is very different from what it was. The Government, in concluding the past three budgets, published its medium-term economic strategy to 2020. The signposts and objectives in the coming years are very clear and we intend to achieve those. That is all based on strengthening our economy and providing opportunities for jobs and work because, irrespective of what else happens, that will give people the opportunity to contribute, to have a life, to be able to raise their families and to contribute to their country.

One cannot do that if one is living beyond one's means. We could not do that with the desperate situation we were in. For instance, the decision by Moody's to change its rating of Ireland to investment status means that some of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world are able to come here and consider investing in Ireland, which they could not do when we were not rated by all of the rating agencies. I assure the Deputy that we intend to continue to provide opportunities to people. We want to ensure employers can access credit and take people off the live register. We want to give small businesses an opportunity to set up in niche areas which can grow. I remind the House that two thirds of the 58,000 new jobs that were created in Ireland in the last year were created by firms that have been in existence for less than five years. In the next decade, the vast majority of the jobs that will be provided in Europe and beyond will be created by companies that have not yet been heard of. Over 10,000 innovators turned up at the Dublin Web Summit last autumn. We have enormous opportunity and potential. The Government intends to give that its head in the time ahead.

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