Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I wish him, the Minister of State, O'Donovan, and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, all the best in terms of the budget.

I welcome that this is a balanced budget and there is a little bit for everybody. I am glad to see that the Government has been prudent in the way it has chosen to spend the money and that it is not putting its two feet into it in terms of overspending in any one particular area because we have to remember the history of what we have seen here and the consequences that faced the country. It is great that, today, ahead of schedule, a balanced budget is being delivered.

This is a balanced budget which, I suppose, has a little bit for everybody, from families to small business, to the increases in health and the increases in education. The fact that extra money has been provided in these key areas, especially in education and health, is progressive. It is something that will be welcomed by people across the country. As long as I have been here, that is, for the past 18 months, we have been hearing about cutbacks in education and health and all the consequences across all constituencies. The investment in these areas today is crucial.

In terms of education, I welcome that there will be 6,000 extra apprenticeships. I have stated on many occasions in this Chamber that it is not only about third level education. I welcome the important increased funding in third level education. It is about investment. I also welcome that every family will now be able to avail of the two years' free preschool places. That is the start of education, and then going up as far as the third level. There will also be 6,000 apprenticeships created. On my own doorstep, Limerick Institute of Technology has a number of apprenticeship courses, two of which are at level 8 and level 9. Those kinds of incentives were never heard of previously. People are being encouraged to go back to education and even though some are afraid of third level, the fact that they are going in doing their apprenticeship and they are still getting their accreditation at the end of the day is very important. I am delighted to welcome the increase in funding in those areas.

I note some Members have given out about the retention of the 9% VAT rate and others are in favour of it. I agree that some in the hospitality sector in Dublin have abused it and put up hotel prices, but down the country, be it over in the west, the midlands or whatever, I have seen a number of small businesses using that lower VAT rate to reinvest in their businesses to create jobs. It is important, especially outside the ring of the M50, that the 9% VAT rate be kept. We are beginning to see an increase in tourism in the country. However, when there was no recession in Dublin there certainly was a recession in the rest of the country. For those small businesses that really suffered it is good that the 9% VAT rate is being kept for another year, that we know of. It has helped in terms of job creation and also in investment in properties.

I should have said that I welcome that speech and language therapy is now being brought into the education system. We have never had this before. I also welcome the reduction in class sizes. Speech and language therapy is something that affects a lot of people and it is important. There are 20 speech and language therapists to be used on a trial basis and if it is a success, the service will be expanded across the education system. It is an issue that I have seen in my constituency office involving people whose children have difficulties. These are all important measures.

It is all about investment in our future, starting with the young and going to the not-so-young in terms of the €5 increase. The latter is a small amount but it is important that we invest the money that we have rather than overspending.