Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Members who expressed their support for the Bill. I will respond to a few points that have been made. Senator Ned O'Sullivan is dead right that the Shannon Foynes Port Company is a great example for everyone in our area of north Kerry and mid-west region. It is a semi-State company that has the power, capability and drive to deliver to a region, and in this case it has delivered for the country in terms of the amount of cargo that the roads project can handle.

In response to the comments made by the Sinn Féin spokesperson, his party opposed everything that we did for the previous seven years. At least he and his party are consistent with their opposition in terms of what we are trying to do today. However, the legislation has been supported because the Estimates have gone through committee and been accepted by all the committees.

Senator Gavan commented on the mid-west region and the University Hospital Limerick. I agree with him that the situation at the hospital is far from acceptable. In fact, it is completely unacceptable. Recently, I had to avail of the hospital's services. There is a new accident and emergency unit but, unfortunately, there is a chronic shortage of beds. We are only catching up with the 2009 level now because we were unable to invest. The accident and emergency units in Nenagh, Ennis and St. John's were taken out. We now have a situation where the Minister for Health has committed to providing a modular unit that will increase bed capacity. There is further investment planned under Project Ireland 2040.

I am concerned about the comments Senator Gavan made about corporation tax. Given that the mid west has been the largest beneficiary of inward investment over the past number of years in terms of job creation, any signal that would go from this House, particularly anything other than consistency and an determination to retain the corporation tax would be something that many of the companies that have invested in Limerick and created jobs in Limerick, both in my constituency and his, would be very nervous of. I know that Senator Ned O'Sullivan's party and Senator Paddy Burke, from my own party, would be at one with me in saying that there should be no deviation from the corporation tax policy that has been pursued by all Governments up to now.