David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has read the CEO Pulse 2006 report from PricewaterhouseCoopers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11350/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC, inaugural CEO Pulse survey is a useful addition to the analyses and commentary that I receive about evolving confidence indicators and the competitiveness of the economy. The CEO Pulse survey reveals that business confidence among Ireland's CEOs is high, with more than 75% predicting growth in revenues, profits and spending within the economy in 2006.

Government policies are encouraging the transition to growth that will be increasingly based on higher levels of value added output and skills. The CEO survey finds that 70% of CEOs of multinational corporations indicated that Ireland was currently being considered for additional investment by their parent. This reinforces my belief in the strength of what we have to offer in the competition for foreign investment.

As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I have prioritised the enterprise agenda both in policy development within my Department and in its delivery through the development agencies that report to me. I note that the CEO survey reports that two thirds of Irish CEOs feel that the Government is more in touch with the needs of the business community than governments in other countries. This confirms that the Government's business agenda reflects the needs of Irish entrepreneurs in the real world of global competition and supports an entrepreneurial spirit that looks for and captures the opportunities emerging in world markets.

Despite some very favourable comments coming from the survey, there are some matters of concern. The survey reflects dissatisfaction with our infrastructure. I recognise the importance of having first rate infrastructure to meet our development ambitions into the future. While infrastructure investment has been sustained at a high level under the current national development plan, this will be added to as the Department of Transport rolls out its Transport 21 programme. An unprecedented €34.4 billion will be invested in public transport infrastructure and equipment over ten years.

I notice one of the major challenges mentioned by CEOs in the survey related to business costs. The Government's response is manifested in numerous ways, most recently as evidenced by the fact that for the third consecutive year we implemented a non-inflationary budget in budget 2006. This displays the Government's prudent fiscal management of the economy at a time of ever increasing global competitiveness pressures.