Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-26
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

SMEs remain the backbone of the Irish economy. While this country proudly has a good tradition - and one we want to continue - in terms of foreign direct investment, including in the Deputy's county, the biggest employer in Ireland remains small- and medium-sized enterprises the length of breadth of the country. This is why we took a number of measures in the budget to support small businesses, to protect jobs and to try to maintain competitiveness. We also brought forward the reduced VAT rate on gas and electricity for SMEs and the reduced VAT rate on hospitality will come into place on 1 July. The Minister, Deputy Burke, has established the cost-of-business advisory forum. This will consider all of the costs that businesses face, and particularly small and medium businesses, and any regulatory, infrastructural or policy or budget changes that should be addressed. Specific measures as to what we may or may not be able to do in the budget are a matter for budget day. I assure the Deputy that the next budget, just like the most recent one, will be about protecting jobs and supporting Irish businesses.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-26