Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I listened to three contributions. Deputy Creighton accuses others of ignorance and of not understanding things. The question of capital gains tax is one for consideration by the Minister for Finance. In recent budgets, he has made a number of changes to the tax code to improve incentives for investment and job creation here. This issue, along with many others, will be considered by the Minister in respect of the preparation of the budget in October. Prior to that, there will be public consultation and discourse next week where the different sectors will have their say about what they think should be relevant in this budget.

This Government will not put our country in hock. We have had enough of that. That is what caused the flight from the country, the economic catastrophe and the recession. Whatever decisions the Government makes, regardless of whether they are criticised by people, they will be based on securing the recovery for our people for the time ahead. We are not yet at the top of the hill. We still have some very difficult challenges ahead. For Government, it is a case of being able to give to people what we can but not in the way that was done before where money was borrowed with fantasy figures on the assumption that things would last the way the previous Government assumed they would.

Capital gains tax will be considered by the Minister for Finance together with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I am not sure whether Deputy Creighton moves throughout the country and talks to people in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Deputy says we do not understand what these are about, but I beg to differ, with respect. We have spoken to those with young firms who are not just in the business of supplying the domestic market but who also export. One can see their confidence in the integrity of the product they manufacture, in the way they are able to win new markets abroad and in the research undertaken by their talented workforce. The fact of an improving environment is evidenced by the reduction in unemployment from 15% to under 10% and by the reduction in interest rates which have fallen dramatically. It is evidenced by the fact our country was in a position to offer 30-year bonds at unprecedentedly low rates just a short time ago. The Minister of State, Deputy English, has arranged for a gathering of start-up companies to be held this October at which people from all over the world can either tune in online or be there, in order to have the very best of advice about start-ups and how they might access opportunities.

I have said on a number of occasions that the Government will start the process in this budget of dealing with PRSI for self-employed people. This has been a bone of contention for quite some time. This will be done over a number of years. It is important not to forget it is not possible to provide all the facilities that people need unless the country has a functioning economy that is able to deal with that. Our challenge is to secure the recovery for the future.

Deputy Martin often says that the Government always claims credit for progress made. Has he ever heard me say that? It is the philosophy of fools in politics to look for credit. Deputy Martin knows that. We do not deserve it and neither do we claim it nor look for it.

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