Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the short time I have, I want to be critically constructive. The Minister of State would do well to listen to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, which has issued an independent report on the budget stating that it is an inflationary budget. Spending from well-performing economy with extraordinary tax take, the tax take trebled in three years to €23 billion. Equally, what has almost doubled is this and the previous Government's spending on running Ireland's economy. We spent in excess of €30 billion more in a short number of years, and we have little to show for it except extensive waiting lists in every hospital waiting list one can think of. We do not have doctors in our countryside. So many people in Wexford cannot get referrals because they have no doctor.

They cannot even apply for the social welfare that is required because they cannot get a doctor's report.

What is the issue? Was it a prudent budget? No, it was a vote-buying budget. There is no doubt about that. What is the issue? The issue is the Government is not protecting the country as a whole because the FDI on which we depend so much is at risk of going. Why? Amazon told us. It said it was because of our poor planning policy and our poor investment in infrastructure. We have not invested enough in housing, energy and water and so our tax regime is no longer the most attractive thing about Ireland. Our own companies find it difficult to expand never mind FDI companies that might be thinking about expanding. Amazon was prepared to put €35 billion into the Irish economy but this money has now gone to France, Germany or Spain simply because we took our eye off the ball. We are too slow in spending and looking after the infrastructure that is required to keep our attractive economy.

We would do well to look at that but also to garner the 1.2 million people working in the SME sector. Regarding the 4% that could have been given as a reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector, the sector does not just include hoteliers, restaurateurs and café owners but also includes barbers, hairdressers and beauticians. It is a wide sector employing in excess of 280,000 people, almost a quarter of the employment within our SME sector. Those on the margins of viability could have been induced to stay in the business, but instead 700 have left, creating the possibility of a social welfare bill of €2 million per week. The Government did not look at what it has cost us not to give the reduction in VAT. It only looked at what it would cost but I think that is foolish and that we will come to rue the day when that will come back to bite us. I live in County Wexford, which is highly dependent on the revenue that comes from the tourism industry and has been affected negatively in so many ways over recent years, not just since Covid but with all the wars that have occurred and all of the things we have seen happen and the changes we have seen. We need to very much garner what we have.

Independents are always being accused of just being critical. I like to be constructive. A number of times on the floor of this House I have described several ways we can kick-start our housing builds because we are not meeting targets, which are far too low. A figure of 40,000 just does not cut it. We need to be building 60,000 homes per year. Unfortunately, the Government is not listening.

On local radio in Wexford, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform said no politician in this House was responsible for the overspend on the bike shed. I would hate to think the Minister actually believes that, because if he does, we are in big trouble.

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