Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Martin got through a long list of questions there. I have seen many Taoiseach's questions sessions over the years and they used to be worse. When they were held on a Tuesday and a Wednesday, repetition was frequent because the range of questions applicable to the Taoiseach of the day is not as broad as to other Ministers. Deputy Martin has strayed into a whole load of detail here about individual Ministries. I have said to Deputies Martin and Adams previously that I do not have a problem with them tabling a priority question to me each week so that they can raise matters of immediate importance. It is a bit ridiculous that I am answering questions now about events that occurred some months ago. I have made that offer to Deputies Martin, Adams and others and if they want to take it up I would be happy to respond to them.

The issue of the ECB and the selling off of material here is a matter for the Governor of the Central Bank and he has already made his position very clear on this. While the ECB noted the arrangement in respect of Ireland, it is a matter for the Governor here and he has been quite clear on that. On corporation tax and the policy pillars, Deputy Martin is well aware of the situation that applies here in so far as the legislative structure is very much behind the digital advances that are being made. Companies that operate here or in other countries move through several jurisdictions before the tax regimes and facilities in different jurisdictions kick in. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, ended the State-less concept here in last year's budget because of potentially damaging perceptions and he made that perfectly clear.

We have been very much up-front in the leading group in saying one does need an international response to an international issue. That is why the OECD was deemed to be the appropriate body. Ireland has been very much up-front with the OECD and the European Commission in all queries that come before it. That is the way we want to be in order that when there is an international response to this international issue, Ireland will play - and is playing - its full part in that regard.

Foreign direct investment has been a cornerstone of investment policy here. The Deputy is aware of Ireland's attractions, including the corporation tax rate, the talent pool, the track record of Irish people in so many areas and our capacity to deal with whatever technological challenges arise.

As regards whether we have a bottom line, we will await the outcome of the OECD's analysis and deliberations with various countries and will move on from there. Ireland did not favour the common consolidated corporate tax base because of our proximity to Britain. It was allowed on the agenda for the first meeting of the Irish Presidency under the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan. Countries that wish to pursue it can proceed with their deliberations, although I am not sure it has gone far. The reality is different from the perception of what it might actually mean.

I did not have discussions about individual banks here with the Minister. Perhaps he had discussions about changes in the structure of and the health and recapitalisation of banks and our belief they could measure up in the stress tests to be taken later this year.

The Deputy said "competitiveness" was a code word, but the mandate given to the Government was to sort out the public finances and get the country working. We have made this perfectly clear in a whole range of areas in which the tax system has been used to provide an opportunity and an incentive to create employment. For example, the reduction in VAT from 13.5% to 9% stabilised the hospitality sector, but it also allowed many thousands of jobs to be created. We hope this can continue in the future. It was also evident in the decision, after listening to the industry, to abolish the travel tax. Ryanair responded by committing to bringing an extra 1 million passengers to Ireland this year through various airports.

In that sense, I have tried to focus not just on foreign direct investment but also on stimulating Enterprise Ireland's work on the export capacity of Irish business. Through An Action Plan for Jobs which is published quarterly by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton there is a genuine attempt to ease the path and remove blockages to doing business. That is why the Micro-Finance Agency was introduced, with the partial loan and credit guarantee scheme. It is important for business to understand that in 50% of cases in which business plans were not deemed to be appropriate by the banks the requests for credit were overturned by the Credit Review Office. Therefore, if a small or medium-sized enterprise is turned down by a bank, there is a 50:50 chance of it being approved on appeal to the Credit Review Office.

There are various incentives and schemes for young people, in particular, who always have the problem of not being able to get a job without experience, while they cannot get experience with having a job. Some schemes have been more successful than others. It is not just about competitiveness which is a fundamental element in the attraction of investment but also about building confidence in order that people can see things are beginning to improve. That is evident in different parts of the country. This morning I was in the Dublin docklands talking to representatives of the retail sector. They have come through a torrid time and many of them have not drawn anything from their businesses for some time. They now see opportunities beginning to emerge. It is important to note, for instance, that the Government's €500 million programme to extend fibre connection to 1,100 towns and villages in the next two years will provide for speeds of international scale. It will also allow small businesses and individuals to work from home or elsewhere as if they were in city centre locations. These elements are all part of the Government's response to attempt to use the tax system and the experience of those involved in business by offering opportunities to increase employment. In the process people can be taken off the live register and given a sense of hope, confidence and trust that they can improve their lot.

The new social contracts built into water metering or in multinationals coming here to look at the talent pool, experience and motivation of persons on the live register have been a surprise to many. They find that, instead of it being just a list of people who are long-term unemployed, in many cases there is experience and talent that can add greatly to the status of firms.

When the Deputy says these gatherings are over the top, certainly I have to-----

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