Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Three years ago last Sunday, I entered this House for the first time as a newly elected Deputy and part of a new Government. We had a huge job of work in front of us, with the country in economic ruin. Three years on, we have made progress on many of the key areas we targeted. Last year, 61,000 new jobs were created.

The unemployment rate has fallen from a high of 15.1% and is now under the EU average of 12%. We have made a clean exit from the bailout. Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide have been formally closed. The promissory note deal has been restructured. The budget deficit is continuing to fall. We have a leaner banking system as a result of the establishment of the pillar banks. The Haddington Road agreement was developed as a follow-up to the Croke Park agreement. The biggest difficulty with the Croke Park agreement was that it took a one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone from the highest-paid civil servant to the lowest-paid civil servant was treated the same. The Haddington Road agreement broke that inequity. We now have a fairer system in which those who have more contribute more.

We stuck to our commitment not to increase income tax or cut basic social welfare rates. This was easier said than done, but it has been of great importance for our overall recovery. While the economy dominated the agenda and the public consciousness, we made huge strides socially by addressing issues that had been swept under the carpet for too long. I refer to the Magdalen laundries issue, for example. We established the first ever Government Ministry for children and brought forward the children's rights referendum. We passed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, thereby meeting head-on an important and sensitive social issue that previous Governments had ignored for too long

Fine Gael had a five-point plan at the last general election. That plan is working. The medium-term economic strategy that was published recently continues the Government's plan, as set out in the programme for Government. The essence of this plan involves creating more jobs and ensuring the economy grows in support of employment. An economy is driven by those who work and pay taxes. That burden has fallen on too few shoulders because unemployment levels have been so high. Getting more people back to work allows us to reduce the burden on those who contribute. Two Government strategies - the Action Plan for Jobs, which was introduced by the Minister, Deputy Bruton, and the Pathways to Work scheme, which was introduced by the Minister, Deputy Burton - are working in tandem to address the need for State services to better adapt to a changing jobs environment and focus on where opportunities will be found in the future.

There are massive opportunities for continued growth in the home-grown agrifood and tourism sectors, which will thrive and create jobs if the Government continues to support and develop them. There has been really positive growth in the tourism sector since we took office three years ago. Initiatives like the reduced VAT rate for the hospitality sector and The Gathering have given it some momentum. I do not doubt that many jobs have been created and - just as important - saved as a result. The available numbers for 2013 indicate that international visits have increased by 7%, with domestic holiday trips also on the increase. This is having a direct impact on job creation. The number of people employed in the tourism sector has increased by 12% in the last year. Fáilte Ireland estimates that an additional 8,000 jobs could be created in the tourism sector in the year ahead. It is important to note that many of these jobs will be located in areas where there is very little other economic activity. The Government's decision to prioritise tourism is paying dividends. I am happy that supporting tourism will continue to be one of our priorities in 2014.

The agrifood sector is another domestic industry that has huge potential for growth. According to the findings of a Bord Bia food industry survey from December 2013, small Irish food businesses are optimistic about their growth prospects. Some 67% of those surveyed said they expect their businesses to grow in 2014. Almost half of them claimed to have increased their turnover in 2013. The value of Irish food and drink exports approached €10 billion for the first time in 2013. This represents an increase of 9% on the previous year and 40% in the last four years. Revenues in this area are almost €3 billion higher than they were in the past.

In the area of energy, there has been a significant focus on electricity pylons and proposed wind farms for the domestic and export markets. I welcome the recent announcement by the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, that an expert group will be established to examine undergrounding options as part of the Grid Link and Grid25 projects. There is a need for a full review of our overall energy policy, as outlined in a Government White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland, in 2007. A great deal has changed in this country since 2007. Following the recent publication of the European Commission's targets for 2030, this is an opportune time for us to undertake a complete review of our overall energy policy. Given that the newly formed expert group is to examine the potential for undergrounding 400 kV lines like Grid Link, a wider national debate on the forms of renewables we should be pursuing is needed. We should consider whether we are too focussed on wind energy. Perhaps we should place a greater emphasis on wave or solar energy. A debate on these matters is needed in this country. I look forward to the Government leading such a debate in the not too distant future.

I will conclude by referring to my local priorities in south Kildare for the year ahead. I am fighting for the construction of the southern distributor ring road that the people of Athy have been seeking for 40 years. This route is long overdue and badly needed in the interests of the economic development of the town. Business supports are needed in areas like Newbridge where unemployment remains stubbornly high. While progress has been made there, more needs to be done. I will continue to fight for the re-establishment of the sugar industry, which we should never have lost. I welcome the new recruitment drive for the Defence Forces. This is obviously of great importance for my constituency, given that the Defence Forces are based in the Curragh. The Government is keeping to its important commitment to retain a minimum personnel figure of 9,500. I welcome the progress that has been made to date. I accept that this is just a starting point. I am optimistic about the future. I look forward to seeing our economy grow. The problems faced by this nation are being met head-on by this reforming Government.

See this speech in context