Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In response to Deputy Tóibín's point, I travel around this country regularly and visit towns and villages of all sizes. I take part of the point he makes regarding the need to rejuvenate and regenerate many of our main streets in mid-size towns. I point to a number of projects across the country in terms of rural and urban regeneration and the funds that have been used. I think of Clonmel as one example where the old barracks have been put into public use and the vitality that will bring to Tipperary.

The specific point the Deputy made in relation to the cost base facing small and medium businesses is very valid. I am concerned about it. As I said earlier, when I go into these businesses they seem extremely busy but when they pull me aside they tell me they are busy but struggling to make ends meet. We took a number of steps in the budget to try to assist them, including on the specific issue the Deputy mentioned, electricity. We will provide €4,000 before Christmas to help people in the hospitality and retail sectors with their electricity bills. We have also specifically increased the VAT threshold, which will exclude some smaller and start-up businesses from the burden of charging VAT.

There is some validity in the broader point the Deputy made about VAT reform, if I can call it that. We are somewhat constrained by how many VAT rates we can have under European law. I think it is four. However, in the aftermath of the budget I have asked the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, to engage with the sector and review how our VAT laws interact with the hospitality and retail sectors and other small businesses and the cost base facing them. I will be happy to correspond with the Deputy on that.

Deputy Ó Murchú raised Uisce Éireann, specifically a pumping station and wastewater treatment issues in Dundalk and north Louth, the impact they are having and the fact that there are plans in place. I will seek an update for him from Uisce Éireann about the speedy delivery of them. However, more broadly, bringing me also to Deputy Barry's question, in the budget we allocated an additional €1 billion to Uisce Éireann using the proceeds of the AIB shares. That means in practice that to the best of my knowledge Uisce Éireann is now fully funded to meet its needs until 2028, based on what it told the Government it requires. My question back to Uisce Éireann is when it will be able to address the horrific situation the Deputy described. I do not need to sit any closer to him to see how vile and awful a situation it is for the Deputy's constituents on the northside of Cork to have to experience. We have allocated significant capital to Uisce Éireann. The Deputy will be aware that, at his request, and in fairness he brings this up regularly, I have corresponded extensively with Uisce Éireann and I was assured that a number actions would be taken such as clearing and interim works. However, I will go back to the chief executive of Uisce Éireann in light of what the Deputy raised today. I am satisfied the Government has provided significant additional resources on behalf of the taxpayer to help it to accelerate its actions.

In the interest of making sure I am fully accurate and fully up to date, I will ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to correspond with the Deputy on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. However, my understanding is that his position and the position of the Government is that we are co-operating fully with investigations and inquiries about that. The families deserve justice and truth. I think President Higgins spoke for all of us when he spoke so forcefully at the commemoration, which I attended. I want these families to get truth and justice. My understanding is that there are active Garda investigations, or at least files that remain open. However, I will get a direct update for the Deputy in writing and ask the Tánaiste to correspond with him.

See this speech in context