Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We all talk about productivity and value for money which the Minister has achieved. Bad news makes news all the time but good news makes it only for five minutes. I will repeat some of what Senator Naughton said. There are 90,000 more people at work since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs. In 2014 over 140,000 left the live register to take up work. For every person who leaves the live register approximately €20,000 extra is made available for health services, education and everything else. It involves more than giving the person the dignity of getting a job, which is the best way out of poverty, because it does something for everybody else in the country in that the money gained in tax goes back into the system for medical and educational services.

Ireland’s international competitiveness ranking is steadily on the rise. Its international standing must be applauded as must the Minister for bringing Ireland back on track. People are now looking at the fastest growing economy in Europe. It is great to say that when one thinks we were the worst boy in the class a few years ago. The growth is now built on a steady footing, not construction. It is stable. Exporting firms created 15,000 additional jobs. Enterprise Ireland, which worked with Irish-owned exporters, added over 8,000 of those jobs.

I agree with Senator Craughwell who spoke about child care. Senator Naughton and I were at the launch of Hands Up for Children today, which is all about child care. When I was on the old Dublin County Council I had the first local authority crèche in Ireland opened. It is not possible to get people back to work if there are no facilities for those who want to go back to work. The people who want to stay at home and mind their children need child care too. All the Ministers have to work together. I know the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, will put his shoulder to the wheel for child care along with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy James Reilly.

The plan is working. I am delighted the Minister put it in place and that there has been an increase of over 1,200 jobs per week in the private sector over the past year. That is some achievement. A total of 11,200 left the live register to take up work in February 2015. I have a few more good things to say but in case I do not have time to say the bad things I will say it is not all rosy in the garden.

I met a man this morning who has a growing business. His productivity grew 16% last year. He wants to open a new business but he had one business in the downturn that went into liquidation. He paid €17,000 to the Revenue Commissioners last year and another €25,000 this year but he cannot get a tax clearance certificate even though he is willing and able to make an agreement. It is not that he will not have the money. He will employ three extra people and will take two people off the dole under JobBridge, a total of five people. The Minister will not believe this but he has come up against a huge problem. He has got a site on the Belgard Road and has got planning permission but has found out that because the South Dublin County Council did not ask for the development levies in 1981, he has been asked for development levies of €20,000. It is not a new business, it is a change of use, which would involve much lower development levies. He has been asked to prove that in 1981, no development levies were paid. We moved the old Dublin County Council to south Dublin. The files cannot be found and he cannot prove it. The legislation puts the onus on the individual who is starting the business to prove it. The Statute of Limitations has come against him. He is in limbo. His business is going to go down the Swanee as a result of red tape and people saying these are the rules and this is what one must do.