To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the predicted increase in mortgage interest rates in 2011, which will add further financial pressure to hard-pressed homeowners, many of whom it is believed will fall behind on payments or face selling their homes as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter

The micro-electronics sector is well positioned to support Ireland's economic recovery efforts. There are several multinational micro-electronic companies based in Ireland including Intel, Analog Devices and Xilinx, as well as a small but growing base of indigenous companies. IDA Ireland continues to secure significant wins in FDI investment, a significant portion of which is due to the strong research base that Ireland has built up primarily through Science Foundation Ireland and the Programme for Research in Third-level Institutions over the past decade. There is a very strong human capital capacity in the micro-electronics sector in Ireland, which reinforces our offering to FDI companies while also simultaneously enhancing our tradition of excellence in this area.

I thank Deputy Troy for raising this matter. I have some sympathy for his position as I understand the frustration of any Deputy who represents areas outside of the large urban conurbations when it comes to attracting inward investment to their business parks. I too have had words with the agency when it comes to its policy of attracting inward investment to places other than the larger urban conurbations.

Link to this Access to certain social insurance payments, which are based on PRSI contributions, differ between employees and the self-employed. While employees and the self-employed are liable to PRSI at the rate of 4%, employers also make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of employees, bringing the PRSI payment in respect of employees to a combined 14.75% rate per employee under the full class A rate. As a result, ordinary employees can build entitlement towards the full range of social welfare benefits based on the higher level of contribution. Class S self-employed contributions provide cover for long-term benefits, such as the State contributory pension, widow's or widower's pension or surviving civil partner's contributory pension.

The Patents (Amendment) Bill 2011 is a short but very important Bill amending three sections of the Patents Act 1992, to allow for the eventual ratification by Ireland of the London agreement. I will set out the context in which I am bringing this Bill before the House today. Patents are central to supporting innovative businesses in several ways. Patents add economic value to inventions by giving them a monopoly right for a fixed term to enable the commercial exploitation of ideas in the market place. However, in return for that monopoly the inventor must agree to have the details of the invention published. The publication of patents enables research and encourages research, allows business in technical fields to stay abreast of the state of the art and encourages further innovation. It also helps to create co-operative links between inventors, investors and manufacturers through patent licensing.

I wish to share time with Deputy Michael D. Higgins. I refer in the first instance to the Minister's speech on budget day.

I raise this matter in the context of the fact that €300 million is spent annually in Cork on prefabricated buildings in the primary school sector. Today, we learned through RTE that €330 million of the budget of the Department of Education and Skills has not yet been spent. I use the particular example of Midleton because three primary schools are housed in inadequate conditions. I put the question to the Minister about the educational needs of Midleton in the future and the answer stated: "School accommodation requirements in the Midleton/Carrigtwohill area have been considered as part of this detailed study of the identified areas, which indicates that up 38 additional primary classrooms may be required across that area to cater for increased enrolments up to the school year 2014/15

The guidelines that are published are only guidelines. When Deputy Batt O'Keeffe was Minister of State in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, he published guidelines on the relaxation of rules for one-off houses in rural areas. The guidelines that were issued stated councillors must have regard to development plans as they existed in local authority areas