Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----that cannot be met. Deputy Fitzmaurice will note that the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners has indicated that just €300 million of that €3 billion needs to be considered separately and that the remainder is sustainable and will continue for the future.

The Deputy has referred to various important matters, such as TEN-T funding, broadband and rates. The Government changed the legislation to allow for the ESB to partner with a service supplier, Vodafone, the company called Siro, which is now in direct competition with Eir, formerly Eircom, to provide broadband throughout the country. The tender for procurement for servicing the area in which the State will have to intervene should be issued by the end of 2015 or very early in 2016. As the Deputy knows, one can check on any of the maps for indications of when broadband will be available.

Deputy Fitzmaurice is also aware that Apple is investing €1 billion in the Athenry area for data content storage. I can confirm that the splicing has taken place on the last link of the cable from Shirley, New York, to the west coast of Ireland. That will improve the broadband capacity immensely in the time ahead. I pointed out that in the far flung west, €100 million is being invested in a new wood burning power plant which will provide another opportunity for farmers with marginal land to increase their income through the growing of appropriate timber.

It is not true to say that SMEs are getting no breaks. I have just come from a meeting in Newbridge this morning which over 200 people from the business sector attended. They pointed out various inadequacies in the structure of SMEs in terms of micro loans, access to credit, facilities for training, upskilling and new employment, the JobBridge scheme and the JobsPlus scheme, all of which were discussed by people working in the sector.

Deputy Fitzmaurice will also note the increase in private and commercial vehicles. The Government has listened carefully and the 20 rates of tax for commercial vehicles will be reduced to five on 1 January 2016. Hauliers, in particular, appreciate the reduction from over €5,000 to a maximum of €900 in tax for major trucks. These apply in the west, from where the Deputy comes but perhaps he has not noticed.

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