Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Many positive changes have taken place in the past three years but much remains to be done. The Government set out a list of priorities and is committed to fulfilling them and making Ireland a better country for everyone. First and foremost, it wants to get the country working again by further reducing the number of unemployed. Its focus lies in helping the domestic economy through measures such as delivering inward investment from multinational companies, expanding exports and promoting Ireland as a tourist destination.

Productive infrastructural development is central to economic prosperity and industrial advancement. The availability of quality infrastructure is critical to productivity and competitiveness. Many gaps in our infrastructure remain and need to be addressed to aid economic recovery and environmental sustainability. Given the reduced level of resources available, the Government is committed to ensuring the country's infrastructure is capable of facilitating economic growth, enterprise development and job creation. In the past decade or thereabouts, approximately €70 billion has been invested in infrastructure and the productive sector, considerably improving the quality and quantity of infrastructure.

Many improvements have occurred in the past couple of years. The rural transport programme has been overhauled, restructured and placed on a more stable financial footing to protect it. New statutory guidelines have been published for planning authorities on the preparation of local area plans. Work is also under way on the N7 Newlands Cross and N11 Rathnew projects and preliminary work has begun on joining up the two Luas lines. Shannon Airport has been given independence and has increased passenger numbers. A sum of €70 million in funding has been approved to help communities devastated by recent storm and flood damage and €1.9 billion has been allocated for the new rural development programme. A nationwide broadband mapping project is also under way to identify areas that will need State-led intervention to deliver high speed broadband. These projects offer significant economic benefits and will continue to be supported in what is a much less favourable funding environment. The Government will continue to provide for the maintenance of our roads to protect the value of previous investments. It will also target the improvement of specific road segments where this will have a clear economic benefit.

The strong export performance in recent years is reflected in growth in traffic on the Dublin Port tunnel. The national road network stretches for 5,500 km, including almost 1,200 km of motorway, and now carries approximately 45% of total road traffic. The road network is a crucial component of the economy's export potential and carries goods to airports and ports for delivery to global markets.

It is clear that if we are serious about developing the regions, we must invest in infrastructure, particularly the motorway structure. Since I was elected to the House in 2011, I have constantly campaigned for the upgrade of the N4 and N16. Works on the N4 from Collooney to Castlebaldwin have gone to planning and I thank the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, for his positive engagement with me on the occasions that I have highlighted the lack of motorway connection between Sligo and Dublin, in particular, the safety deficit on the part of the road on which the works will take place.

Our efforts to attract investment into counties Sligo and Leitrim are being thwarted because industrialists travelling west past Mullingar think they are heading into the outback. A good supply of efficient and educated workers in my region has resulted in investment by medical device and pharmaceutical companies. We would fare much better, however, if the region had transport access. While the Government cannot create jobs, it can create an environment in which others are encouraged to create employment. The N16 provides direct access from Sligo to Belfast through counties Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan. I am pleased to report that this is the first Government in many years to spend money on developing and realigning this road. The Minister has approved spending in excess of €2.5 million, which has enabled Leitrim County Council to improve safety, especially for large lorries travelling between Sligo and Belfast. Much more investment is required and I encourage the National Roads Authority and Minister to provide money from any future stimulus package that may come available.

In recent times, the county has been subject to extreme weather and severe flooding, which have highlighted the role of infrastructure in the smooth running of society. For this reason, the Government will continue to maintain and invest in vital infrastructure services, particularly flood defence. Although much infrastructural provision is delivered through commercial semi-State companies and the private sector, the State has an important role to play in this regard. It is vital that the correct policies and regulations are in place to maximise efficiency and competitiveness in the delivery of new facilities and utilisation of existing facilities. The Government plans to direct significant funding towards the maintenance and rehabilitation of regional and local roads.

I welcome the recent allocation by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, of €500,000 to enable local authorities in counties Sligo and Leitrim to repair some of the damage done to local roads as a result of severe weather events. The allocation of €300,000 from the Office of Public Works and office of the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, has allowed Sligo County Council to provide sea defences at Strandhill. The damage done by storms and coastal erosion in recent years threatened the future of this vibrant tourist village. More than 500 seasonal jobs depend on the resort's ability to attract golfers, surfers and tourists in general. I am pleased, therefore, that the Government has made such a positive response. Places such as Rosses Point, Enniscrone and other parts of Strandhill need assistance for works to complete more flood defences. I am hopeful that applications Sligo County Council has submitted to the Office of Public Works will be approved to allow the relevant projects to proceed.

I commend the Government on providing funding for projects that were essential in maintaining our infrastructure. I will support efforts in the next two years by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and their Cabinet colleagues to place job creation at the centre of this country's future. The facts show that their approach is working. If we achieve growth of more than 2% this year, an effort should be made to reduce income tax for lower earners. When all other factors are considered there should be a large gap between what a person receives in social welfare payments and what he or she can earn in a basic job.

In 2015, the tax base will have been widened as a result of the introduction of the property tax and water charges. These changes have been a necessary response to the events that occurred between 2008 and 2010 when the system, with its excessive reliance on taxes on work, collapsed. I urge the Government to examine this area and try to reduce the burden on working people and families in the next two budgets.

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