Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to discuss the budget. This is my first budget since being elected and it is great to be here. I would like to discuss a couple of parts of the budget that I welcome. I do not need to repeat much of what has already been spoken about.

Since the onset of the pandemic, we have added more than 440,000 jobs to the economy. That is just since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have record levels of women at work, as well as many people coming to Ireland to work. It is expected that a further 63,500 jobs will be created by the end of next year with the economy remaining at full employment over the coming period. I am hoping that the announcements today will protect those jobs as outlined as businesses are under so much pressure, as the Minister of State knows. Small businesses, as I have said repeatedly, welcome their employees being looked after with higher wages but need support to provide them.

We see today that the VAT rate for hospitality will decrease from 13.5% to 9%. There are some 191,000 jobs in the sector. To my colleague on my left, I say that McDonald's and Supermacs employ many people in Ireland. Supermacs employs 4,000 people. Pat McDonagh has been to the forefront of constantly working for businesses, especially when it comes to insurance reform, thus protecting jobs. I will also mention, in response to claims that we are only helping big chains to do even better, that those chains represent only 0.4% of businesses in the hospitality trade.

I particularly welcome the reduction in VAT in the hairdressing sector and even more so in a sector very close to my heart, namely, the leisure sector, which includes play centres, bowling alleys and indoor activity centres. These businesses were the very last to reopen after the pandemic. They were not included in the increased cost of doing business grants. They have faced increases in the costs of energy, wages, rates, rent and insurance. These businesses employ many of our students and younger workers. For this sector, I am particularly happy that those centres which supply food to the customers and to all the parties that walk through the door will now be able to avail of this hospitality grant. I also welcome that the VAT rates for gas and electricity will remain at 9% until December 2030.

I acknowledge that the increase in the SUSI grant threshold, which I have been asking for regularly in Seanad, was delivered by the Minister, Deputy Lawless.Bringing that up to €120,000 from €115,000 is very welcome. It is a reduction in fees of €500, which I welcome. Is it better to have the reduction in fees of €500 or to face the fees going back up to €3,000? I welcome the reduction of €500.

The additional €65 million enabling a further 12,500 apprenticeship registrations is vital. Not everybody wants to go to college, and many like to learn and earn. Funding for medicine and nursing will deliver 11,000 more places, an increase of 25%.

Finally, I encourage Deputy Troy, as Minister of State with responsibility for insurance, to ensure that the reduction in the insurance compensation fund levy from 2% to 1% will be passed on, as the Central Bank has recommended. I encourage him to ask insurance companies to pass that on to homeowners and motorists.