I wish to be associated with the comments on St. Patrick's Institution. It was a very wise move by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to state earlier this year that the institution was no longer a suitable place for 16 year olds and 17 year olds.

I refer in particular to the report in The Irish Times about a Garda sergeant's wife who spoke anonymously and very bravely about the burden on her family arising from a mortgage repayment that has become unsustainable. It is now clear, as I have known for some time, that we need to have these stories told on the record. Middle-income families are now a new poor but they are not on social welfare. We need to find a way to assist these families because there is no doubt that it is on them that the charges such as the property tax, water charges, etc, will fall, as they are owners of homes.

On Thursday we will have a debate with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton and we must work out a way to assist these families.

Hear, hear.

This all points to the need for this country to grasp every opportunity for growth. Yesterday I attended an EU meeting which, in my view, brought hope. It showed that if this country moves quickly to implement the EU services directive we will increase our growth by 2.4% GDP. Let us do it. In addition to the Minister, Deputy Burton, we must ask the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Lucinda Creighton, to attend to look at our progress in this regard and what it will achieve. It will achieve the easier establishment of business both here and across borders, in other countries, without the need for actual set-up. It will provide for single points of contact, electronically speaking, with e-signatures and e-invoicing.

Let us be fair. If we can do this and increase our growth surely we will reduce the burden on families who are to the pin of their collar trying to put food on the table - they are eating cornflakes. Let us have some joined-up thinking here.