Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will not be able to say what I want to say in two minutes. However, I shall commence by saying that strong retail sales figures are a major indicator that confidence is returning. People are starting to spend and exports continue to increase and are performing well.

The Minister introduced a €500 million pro jobs package in budget 2014 which so far has been a great success, with particular focus on SMEs. The hospitality sector has had a reduction in VAT. That was the Minister's initiative as it was he who introduced it in 2013 and continued it in 2014. The initiative has been a great success and I ask him to consider retaining 9% VAT in the next budget.

The removal of the air travel tax will support Irish airlines in their bid to attract an increasing number of visitors to Ireland this year. As a result of the Minister's initiative, Ryanair hopes to bring in an additional 1 million passengers to Ireland this year which will greatly enhance tourism figures for the coming year. I am told that every 15 visitors to Ireland creates one additional job. That means we now have a major opportunity to create jobs and I anticipate a significant reduction in the number of people out of work this year.

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge - this is my personal opinion - the part that the Minister has played in bringing the country back to sustainability, stability and getting people back to work. He does not get the recognition that he deserves.