Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government has set out its priorities for this year in the sense that the action plan for jobs and driving forward the Government's priorities to grow our economy constitute the real priority in terms of creating jobs. As the Deputy is aware, following the exit from the bailout, the Government published its medium-term economic strategy. That indicates a 2% growth this year, 2.5% next year and 3% in 2016. It also indicates that in 2015 our deficit will be below 3%, eliminated by 2018, and all the jobs that were lost during the course of this recession restored by 2020. To that effect, the Government introduced a number of issues in the recent budget to help small and medium enterprises, including bank targets for increased lending and access to credit.

The Deputy mentioned the minimum wage and other things but these are all matters that have to be considered and discussed as we prepare for budget 2015. Work on that measure is already under way. The Deputy also referred to the report from the Nevin Institute, but the ceilings have been set for this year and the budget is in place. As we move through 2014 the Minister for Finance and his Department will monitor the growth of our economy in the context of jobs.

For 20 consecutive months we have had a fall in the live register, which is now approaching European norms. That is the best way of giving young unemployed people an opportunity to get jobs and to pursue careers.

As regards the Deputy's question on tax cuts, I have made it perfectly clear that it is the Government's priority that people hit the high rate of tax on too low a wage at the moment. It is a priority to assist people in these sectors who are caught because of the challenges arising from the economic collapse a number of years ago.

All of those issues will be considered by the Government as we prepare for budget 2015. That work will continue during the course of this year until the budget in October.

See this speech in context