Dáil Éireann

Dáil Éireann

Vol. 801 Wednesday, No. 3 1 May 2013 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 01/05/2013A00050Leaders’ Questions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 535 01/05/2013D01600Order of Business � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 542 01/05/2013F03600Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 550 01/05/2013N00300Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Referral to Select Committee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 564 01/05/2013N00600Topical Issue Matters � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 564 01/05/2013N00800Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 565 01/05/2013U00050Ceisteanna - Questions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 576 01/05/2013U00075Priority Questions� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 576 01/05/2013U00088Property Taxation Exemptions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 576 01/05/2013U01850Unfinished Housing Developments � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 578 01/05/2013V00800Shared Ownership Scheme� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 580 01/05/2013V01500Leader Programme� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 582 01/05/2013W01350Climate Change Policy � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 584 01/05/2013X00250Other Questions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 586 01/05/2013X00350Dormant Accounts Fund Management � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 586 01/05/2013Y00050Property Taxation Exemptions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 588 01/05/2013Y01850Rural Development Programme Projects � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 591 01/05/2013Z00600Local Government Reform� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 592 01/05/2013AA00850House Purchase Schemes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 595 01/05/2013BB00700Anti-Social Behaviour � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 598 01/05/2013BB02150Topical Issue Debate � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 599 01/05/2013BB02200Cross-Border Projects � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 599 01/05/2013DD00150Foreign Conflicts � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 603 01/05/2013EE00250Ambulance Service Provision � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 606 01/05/2013FF00350Medical Card Eligibility � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 608 01/05/2013GG01600Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 611 01/05/2013ZZ00100Organ Donation: Motion [Private Members] � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 647 01/05/2013JJJ00300Message from Select Sub-Committee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 667 DÁIL ÉIREANN Dé Céadaoin, 01 Bealtaine 2013 Wednesday, 01 May 2013 Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 10�30 a�m� Paidir. Prayer. 01/05/2013A00050Leaders’ Questions 01/05/2013A00100Deputy Michael McGrath: I am sure we can agree that economic recovery and job cre- ation are inextricably linked� The stability programme update published yesterday by the De- partment of Finance forecast that unemployment will remain stuck at 14% for the remainder of this year, falling to 13�3% next year and remaining over 12% through to the end of 2016� The Government has again downgraded its growth forecast for this year and the next number of years� The Taoiseach has generously given himself an “A” grade for job creation, and I ac- knowledge yesterday’s very welcome news on the upgrade of the M11 and N7, as well as the jobs announcement this morning at Squarespace, which I know the Taoiseach attended� None of this takes from the fact that the Government is starving the economy of investment� I will tell the Taoiseach why this is so� Since coming to office the Government has slashed the capital budget by approximately a quarter, and it plans to cut it further next year� On top of that, the Government is not even spending the money budgeted for capital expenditure� For example, last year almost €150 mil- lion was pencilled in for capital expenditure but it went unspent. For the first three months of this year, the Government’s spend on capital projects is down 27% compared with the same pe- riod last year� The tendency has been to slam the brakes on capital spending, particularly early in the year, to make up for cost overruns in other areas of current spending� The document published yesterday points out that investment in the economy is at histori- cally low levels and does not compare favourably with other countries� In September 2011, the Government announced the establishment of a strategic investment fund to channel commercial investment from the National Pensions Reserve Fund towards productive investment in the Irish economy� Where is the strategic investment fund and when will it take effect? Unem- ployment is the biggest crisis this country faces, and the economy is crying out for investment� Nobody is suggesting that the more than €6 billion left in the National Pensions Reserve Fund should be spent aimlessly, but if there are viable commercial projects to help create jobs and position this economy for recovery, we should carry them out� 01/05/2013A00200The Taoiseach: I thank Deputy McGrath for his comments and question� The grade was made in respect of the action plan as a document and it sets out the success and progress made by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and the strategy for continuing to open the 535 Dáil Éireann doors for business in the time ahead� 01/05/2013A00300Deputy Billy Kelleher: I would love to have the Taoiseach marking my exam paper� 01/05/2013A00400The Taoiseach: I am happy the Deputy recognises the impact of the decision by Glanbia yesterday, which will create between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs between construction and family farming from north Cork to Louth, taking advantage of the fact that milk quotas will be gone by 2015� There will also be the opening of upgrades to the M11 and N7 roads� These public private partnerships are complex and technical, and it took quite a long time to get that through the gap, with the contract signed yesterday� The Department of Finance yesterday published its Irish stability programme April 2013 update, which was the subject of some discussion at the economic affairs committee yesterday� It sets out the official macroeconomic and fiscal forecast for Ireland to 2016, and it is the first time we have gone as far as that. It is the first update of the Government’s macroeconomic and fiscal projections since the budget in December last year. The economy returned to growth in 2011 and continued to grow in 2012� The Department of Finance forecast expects the expan- sion to continue into 2013, with GDP forecast to grow by 1�3% this year� There has been a modest revision in the headline GDP forecast published on budget day, and this revision incor- porates changes to growth� On the plus side and in order to keep fiscal targets in line, domestic demand has been revised upwards slightly, which is a help� that is on the back of recent high frequency data, leading to slightly more positive revisions to employment growth for 2013� That is offset by a downward trend in export growth because of difficulties in other countries, and the global economy clearly remains weak. On the fiscal front the Department of Finance remains confident that the fiscal strategy to reduce the budget deficit to below 3% of GDP by 2015 is on target. Overall, it is clear we are making progress with the public finances and returning the economy to growth. The Government has yet to consider the question of the investment fund arising from the National Pensions Reserve Fund and the setting up of the NewERA entity for assessing poten- tial opportunities� It will do that in the period

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