Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I could talk for three hours, such is the bounty of the goodies. I welcome the reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio at national and secondary school levels. The 600 new resource teachers are most welcome. Fully €1.25 billion has been invested in school buildings under this Government's watch. A total of 102 new schools have been built and 71 large-scale school extensions have been built. Fully 2,260 new additional teaching posts, including 600 new resource teachers, will be filled in addition to an extra 610 special needs assistants and 190 resource teachers.

I welcome the significant reduction in transportation costs, as has my colleague, the Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins. Transportation costs are a major issue for every business in Ireland. The commercial motor tax rate reductions are most welcome. Road tax for large goods vehicles is far too high when compared with Northern Ireland rates and those in the rest of the United Kingdom. There are 20 existing commercial road taxes to be reduced. I am pleased to note that this will be reduced to five. They range from €92 per annum to €900. This change will have effect from 1 January next. The most significant reductions are concentrated on the large goods vehicles, a major industry in the north east and along the Border counties. The maximum rate of commercial motor tax will be €900 per annum, down from €5,195. The latter figure was in no way comparable to the rates in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. This will represent a major boost to the road haulage industry. I could say more but anyway I congratulate the Minister State.