Results 9,881-9,900 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: All Members realise the challenge we face and I welcome their contributions as to how we can collectively meet the new situation. It is easy to be critical when hard decisions have to be made. I am satisfied, however, that our response to the new economic circumstances is proportionate, measured decisive and credible. I believe the public recognise that and will support our approach. The...
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: Ireland has experienced an economic transformation since the mid-1990s that has been the envy of the rest of the world, if not the Opposition benches.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: That transformation has been achieved through the hard work and enterprise of our people, guided and led by the sound economic and fiscal policies pursued by successive Governments. The brightest beacon for the future lies with the national development plan. When the Government launched this plan, it highlighted the need to tackle the infrastructure deficits that had constrained our...
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: It will include a major development in the public transport network in the greater Dublin area, additional commuter services elsewhere in the country, significant enhancement of Dublin Airport and its capacity; increased energy security through the North-South and east-west interconnector projects and an ongoing programme of investment in our environmental services infrastructure to...
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: ââwhose impressive progress on the quays can be seen on a daily basis. There will be support for the ongoing development and modernisation of our agriculture and food sector. The national development plan also highlights the importance of education and training.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: I will deal with that later. People are the ultimate bedrock of national competitiveness and the national development plan will provide very substantial allocations so that our labour force has the flexibility, skills and qualifications to enable Ireland to compete in the high value-added sectors. Taking all these together, investments in infrastructure, enterprise, innovation and human...
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: Ireland's economic potential, as the ESRI's recent medium-term review indicated, is considerable. We must now focus and prioritise the resources provided under the national development plan to optimal effect.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: All this gives the lie to the charge constantly repeated in this House by the Fine Gael Party that there is no strategy on our part to ensure a return to growth.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: The national development plan shows that the Government is determined to enhance the productive capacity and productivity of this economy and to restore and improve our international competitiveness. The national development plan provides a robust, multiannual financial investment framework to underpin this endeavour. The Government is determined to prioritise and deliver those investments...
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am not prepared to bring the country back to the days of unsustainable borrowing, less room for manoeuvre, lower growth and a heavy tax burden.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: Unlike then, our economic future is bright.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: In the past 11 years 750,000 new jobs have been added to the economy.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: The economy has doubled in size, while exports have increased by over 100% in volume terms. Public investment has been maintained at record levels while real income levels have increased substantially.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: Tax rates have been reduced virtually across the board while hundreds of thousands of ordinary workers have been removed from the tax net.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: A minimum wage has been introduced to protect the weak in our labour market and social welfare payments are now up to double those in the UK.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: Unemployment has been reduced from 10% to 5% during this period.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: These are all substantial improvements and our ambition is to do more in terms of the welfare of our people, as resources allow.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: Our economic potential is clear and attested to by all economic commentators. The economy can grow at 4% per annum once the cyclical effect of the housing adjustment washes through.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: Our glass is very much more than half full economically. The Taoiseach, in his opening remarks to this debate, set out a vision for positive economic policies to deal with this downturn, measures to reduce the cost of doing business in Ireland, increase competition, help the consumer get greater value for money, improve competitiveness and maintain the focus on education and skills. These...
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Brian Lenihan Jnr: During this debate the Opposition has accused the Government of causing the short-term economic problems that the country faces. Deputy Kenny suggested the problems we face are solely due to Government mismanagement, waste and missed opportunity.