Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I hope I do not repeat what others have said. I welcome the economic statements made yesterday by the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. In respect of Deputy Crowe's comments on emigration, I know of people who have returned to Ireland. I know people in Australia who were asked by their employers whether gold was struck in Ireland such is the rate at which Irish people are returning home. I know it is a fact because my own daughter was involved in this.

I acknowledge the huge sacrifices that were made by the Irish people as we strived to pull this country back from the brink of bankruptcy. Difficult decisions were taken and extreme hardship was imposed on people who played no part in the unprecedented situation this Government faced when it took office in 2011. The spring statement outlines the policies which will cement the hard-won gains of recent years. These gains include the €64 million allocated to Carlow and Kilkenny to implement the social housing strategy of lease, buy and build. I came up through the local authority system. I do not recall any year in which the Government provided €64 million for social housing.

Ireland's economic recovery has gained momentum in the past 12 months, based on solid growth and job creation. We had the fastest growing economy in the European Union in 2014, with growth of 4.8%, and we expect to retain this lead position in 2015. Steady, stable economic growth of 3.25% on average is forecast for the remainder of the decade. The public finances are under control and the deficit will fall below 3% this year. Debt levels are set to move towards the European average in the next few years and, with borrowing rates at record lows, the markets view our debt as sustainable. The Irish banking system is in a much stronger position, with the banks continuing to make significant progress in restoring financial health.

Unemployment continues to fall month on month. The Department of Finance is forecasting that 2 million people will be in employment next year and that all of the jobs lost during the downturn will be replaced by 2018. Between 2015 and 2020, approximately 200,000 new jobs will be created. Export levels are higher than before the crisis because consumers, businesses and investors have renewed confidence in our economic future. There is also a good news story in my neck of the woods, with Glanbia's decision to invest in Belview Port because the area's water infrastructure allowed the company to develop a significant number of new jobs.

The turnaround in Ireland's fortunes over the past four years has been remarkable. This was possible not only due to the hard political decisions we have taken and implemented but also because of the resolve of the Irish people. The Irish people have always been our country's greatest asset and they are the reason why companies invest and create jobs in Ireland in such great numbers. Their resilience, sacrifices and hard work over the last number of years have brought us this far.

As Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government with responsibility for rural economic development, I have visited many small rural communities who are actively making their own development choices and are fighting to re-energise their own localities. This Government fully supports areas such as Letterfrack, Ballinasloe and Scariff, in their efforts and, with funding and support available from initiatives such as Leader and CEDRA, they will succeed. These towns will benefit significantly from the development of our tourism infrastructure, which will bring much needed employment to the areas which were worst affected during the economic downturn.

Allied to the potential 15,000 new jobs resulting from milk quota abolition over the coming years, I am confident that rural Ireland will make a huge contribution to the sustainable economic well-being of this country in the years ahead.

The agrifood sector became a shining light for Ireland during the darkest days of recession. The year 2014 was the fifth consecutive year of export growth in the food and drink industry, reaching yet another record high of €10.5 billion. This growth is underpinned by the Origin Green programme, which is the only sustainability programme in the world that operates on a national scale, uniting government and the private sector. We have all come a long way in a relatively short period of time and the policies outlined will ensure that the mistakes that resulted in a lost decade and desperate hardship for so many people will never be repeated.

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