Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I refer to the Labour Party. I apologise to Senator Bannon for including him in that criticism. I will concentrate on directing my annoyance towards the Labour Party.

I travel from Dublin to the north-west twice or three times a week and see at first hand the extent of good housing developed as a result of rural and urban renewal. There are fabulous hotels dotted across the BMW region but I am most familiar with those in the Sligo-Leitrim area. They receive good publicity in the commercial property supplement of The Irish Times today.

Those facilities would not exist were it not for the reliefs we have enjoyed. Our investment in construction has created jobs and its continuing operation will remain an excellent asset. I urge the Minister to keep an open mind and not throw away the tax reliefs.

One of the Sunday newspapers carried a report stating that companies in the International Financial Services Centre have contributed more than €700 million in corporation tax in the last year, which is wonderful. That centre would not be there but for the far-seeing Fianna Fáil Government of the time and, in particular, Charles J. Haughey, when Garret FitzGerald tried to block it. It is wonderful that there are companies there——