Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the Deputy that we can never take our eye off the ball when we have an open and strong economy like Ireland's. We have to continue to work. It is very important that we have a pipeline of €165 billion for the next decade for capital infrastructure because infrastructure improvements will attract new businesses and keep our economy competitive. We have seen in the national broadband plan how important it is to have high-speed, high-quality broadband in the most rural parts of the country so they can compete with the centre of Manhattan. With regard to improving housing, the figures we have seen in the first quarter are eye-watering, with a 60% increase in commencements. This record level shows how we can be competitive again by having high-quality housing for all of our people.

A further critical point is in regard to the reduction in emissions by 2% since 2021. This challenges our economists. It shows that we can grow our economy and reduce our carbon footprint in tandem. The emissions are going down while the economy is growing. This is important for us as a country. It leaves us as a strong competitor internationally and shows we are meeting our obligations, investing in the future, investing in infrastructure and keeping competitive.

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