Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We all welcome the ESRI report which projects growth of 2.7% next year. The projected increase in employment is very much to be welcomed. Over the past year 33,000 jobs have been created. I welcome the fact that the CSO figures in my county show a drop of 1,700 people on the live register in recent months. That is very much to be welcomed. The forthcoming budget gives us an opportunity, hopefully, to stimulate some growth and activity in the economy and I hope the Minister will use VAT rates to help do that. We saw how successful the VAT rate decrease for the tourism sector was over the past couple of years and I hope that will continue.

I agree with Senator Colm Burke that we need some stimulus for the construction industry and I hope it will be to the benefit of small contractors and tradespeople. If the economy is to recover sufficiently over the coming years we need a much higher level of activity in the construction sector. I agree with Senator Higgins that we must be careful that those who wrecked the country over the past decade do not benefit. I am hopeful and confident that the Minister will target VAT adjustments towards the smaller contractor and to the benefit of smaller projects that many people would like to do with their homes.

I would like the Leader to have a debate in the near future in this House on the growing levels of addiction. The growing number of people on the streets of the capital and every town throughout rural Ireland is a source of worry and should be a source of shame to us all. They are very vulnerable people and we need some emergency measures and task forces to address this growing problem. As a humane Christian society we cannot allow the phenomenon of people's lives being destroyed through addiction to continue. We must take some drastic steps. This House would be an ideal place to debate and discuss what we as a nation, a community and a people can do for those very vulnerable, desperate people.