Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the good clarification on the position. In fact, I was going to make the point that if one carries out a certain amount of work, for instance, putting in a new floor and a wall built outside by separate contractors, and accumulates it, that is a good approach. There are 80,000 small contractors or small builders on the live register and they will avail of this scheme. If the Minister had confined it to a single contractor, that would not open the scheme up as it is.

The Minister mentioned the question of whether it will get a return. I am convinced it will and I will tell the Minister why. It will stimulate so much employment in the economy. One is bringing the unemployed into a job where they will be taxed. One is bringing a supply of materials which are mostly produced in Ireland - concrete blocks and timber. The Minister is creating stimulus. It is one of the best schemes I have seen for quite a while.

When the Bill is passed into law, I would ask the Minister to communicate, particularly with the TDs, Senators and councillors, the simplified form in which this will apply. There are contractors in contact with me wanting to advertise this scheme and when I read the Bill, all the detail seemed daunting to say the least. In his comments today, the Minister clarified it well. He provided a simplified version, making it really worthwhile to apply and get the work under way as quickly as possible. Then he has that deadline as well which, of course, stimulates a quick movement in this regard.

I commend the Minister on this scheme. His comments and clarifications show his experience as a public representative. He knows how the system works. He will be aware that those tradesmen are available to work and that if one is below the limit, by spreading the work throughout the year one may reach the maximum of the limit through a combination of works, for example, a roof, new windows and new doors. It is a tremendous scheme from that point of view. It is not a tight ship on which one would have to employ a main contractor and one job only. The scheme will work. Every one of us will get behind this scheme and push it in our localities because it will stimulate much employment.