Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

It is scandalous that the price of houses is not included in the CPI, which means it is not a true reflection of the inflation rate.

Eating out in Dublin has gone off the Richter scale. I know of a couple who, rather than staying in Dublin for St. Patrick's weekend, travelled to Brussels where they had a cheaper weekend. I know of another couple, constituents of the Minister of State, who spent a weekend in Paris where eating out was cheaper than in Dublin. This raises serious questions about our competitiveness.

People working in Dublin travel north of the Border to avail of dental services, which are cheaper. It raises questions about how they can access their PRSI dental benefits. Furniture and clothing are also more expensive in this country.

Ireland is suffering from a reverse brain drain. In the past we suffered from a brain drain because of the lack of jobs, yet while today jobs are available, there is a brain drain because of the poor quality of life, especially in Dublin. People are unhappy with the quality of public services, including the public transport system. As a result, we are losing people who are trained and qualified in specialist areas.

The first-time buyer's grant was also abolished in the budget. The Minister could have allocated 1,050 of those grants with the money that was spent on the Spire. Many people from Donegal have been telling me what can be done with the Spire, but I will not place their comments on the record of the House.