I am not sure whether the Tánaiste is aware of the crisis facing SMEs. Employers in small businesses are bombarded regarding the way they can reward employees. I am talking about hair salons, barbers, boutiques, pubs, chains of supermarkets, coffee shops and restaurants around the country. I am delighted to see conditions are improving for employees. Unfortunately, this may not be affordable. While it may be affordable for larger companies, it is a two-tier system when it comes to SMEs. Where are the supports for S…

What I am discussing with the Tánaiste is an unfair tax on people who do not have access to public transport. Watch this now. There is tax in regard to VAT and the Tánaiste said the VAT receipts go up. The Government is taking 50% in tax on petrol and 44% in tax on diesel, when everything is included together. This applies to everyone who has to use a car, a van, a tractor, a truck or a motorbike to do whatever they have to do in an area where there is no public transport. This includes getting children to school i…

The Tánaiste is saying the Government could bring down the rate on petrol.

It is the tax.

There is a 50% tax.

Is the Tánaiste in favour of the new Garda roster that has been proposed in which they are looking for members of the Garda to work seven days on-two days off, seven days on-three days off and then six days on-three days off, after which they return to the seven-day cycle again? I met Garda representatives during the week who said that no one will be joining the force after 87 resigned their position recently, with only 23 gardaí having been reintroduced. The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, and th…

Is the Tánaiste in support of it?

As the Minister knows, I have been in construction all my life, so I know the industry inside out. One issue with much construction at the moment that would help businesspeople relates to the planning laws that need to be changed or amended to allow business owners to build accommodation for their staff, which would encourage their staff to stay within the business they are in and which would allow businesspeople to future-proof their business and build apartments or housing for their staff. The current laws, howev…

I am not a landlord but I know a lot of landlords and a lot of tenants. Many of both are fantastic but there is a minority of bad landlords and a minority of bad tenants. Many of the bad landlords care about nothing other than increasing rents on their properties. Some of those properties are not even liveable but their owners continue to squeeze people because they know they have nowhere else to go. The average rent across the country is now €1,500 a month, with variations on that figure throughout the State. The …

I was horrified to read that if Ireland had any difficulty with the pipeline off Moffat in Scotland, our gas would be gone within 20 minutes. Did the Minister hear that? If there was any problem with that pipeline, our gas would be gone within 20 minutes. If our gas was reduced by as little as 20%, and if the wind did not blow on the same day, we would have to switch our electricity to diesel, which would mean we would only have enough fuel in the country to run the generators and no fuel to run our transport netwo…

Does the Minister have any idea of the number of businesses around the country that were awaiting the details of this Finance Bill today? My God, were they surprised. A great many of them will not qualify for the TBESS, as Revenue will need to see an increase of 40% or more in electricity or gas bills compared with bills for this time last year. Deputy Micheál Martin has, in the past, accused us of not understanding the consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine but we seem to understand a lot more than the…

The Local Link service has been a help with regard to local transport issues. Its remit within the national bus service is to provide links from west to east County Limerick through Castlemahon, Kilteely, Feenagh, Dromcolliher, Foynes and Glin. I am delighted to work with it to provide the bus for rural areas from stop to stop. It also provides pick-up at the door for people who need it for different services. A route was recently approved from Granagh to Limerick. This will provide for second and third level stude…

I thank the Social Democrats for tabling this motion. There should be no more time wasted. The people of the mother and baby homes have suffered enough. It is time the redress scheme was introduced in recognition of what happened there. I will tell the House a story. I visited a person - I will not say where - because I knew that this person was alone. The individual was a survivor of the mother and baby homes. I arrived at the house with a box of chocolates and flowers. The person looked at me with a blank face an…

What is the appetite in Europe to regulate the standing charges that appear on utility bills? Will the windfall solidarity tax bring down the cost of energy for the 2.1 million domestic electricity customers in Ireland or is it just another tax? Deputy Flaherty referred to mobile wind turbines. It states on Electric Ireland bills that 64% of the electricity is from renewable energy, yet the costs are going up and Government Deputies are talking about mobile wind turbines. If people go for paperless billing - which …

The cost of the tracker mortgage scandal, between compensation and the cost to the banks in fines, was €1 billion. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, is speaking to an official but I would appreciate it if he were to listen when I am speaking to him. I just mentioned that €1 billion was the cost of the tracker mortgage scandal and the Minister of State went across the floor to speak to his official while I was speaking. Please do me the courtesy of listening to me. I was speaking about €1 billion a…

Last week I mentioned in the Dáil that we may not have places for tourists in this country next year. Figures from Fáilte Ireland for 2019 show international and Irish tourist yielded an estimated €9.5 billion. Tourism gives employment to 270,000 people. The industry must be supported and protected. A total of 70% of these jobs are outside Dublin. Tourism is a huge regional employer. It provides employment for students and there are spin-offs for local retailers, suppliers and the agri-marine community. While there…

These are facts here now. Airtricity paid €115 million to its parent company in the UK last year, while its bills went up by €600 over the year. Electric Ireland, which has 1.2 million electricity customers, is 95% owned by the State. Its electricity bills went up by €466 over the year, with five price increases in succession. Guess what? The Government does not impose one bit of discomfort on Electric Ireland when the company does this even though it is 95% owned by the State. I am not the Minister for Finance but…

The labour supply is a very significant issue in the agricultural and equine sectors. The pig and dairy industry are heavily reliant on labour. That is especially so in spring for dairy and throughout the year in the pig industry. Work permits are critical to the survival of the industry and also for the mental health of farmers who are trying desperately to keep in line with climate change and ensure the viability of their farms and piggeries. I cannot stress enough the urgency of addressing the labour shortage. D…

Transport for Ireland, TFI, has set up Local Link services as a link to national bus services. Lack of housing and student accommodation is forcing many of our young people to stay at home rather than renting, and this is resulting in a huge demand for bus links among those going to work and universities and colleges. I was delighted that Bus Éireann this morning announced six new routes for Limerick. These will run from Galbally, Hospital, Knocklong, Herbertstown and Caherconlish to Limerick city. I am currently s…

I thank the Acting Chairman and welcome the people in the Gallery. Public protection can happen only when correct standards and education are put in place. I understand that the main purpose of this Bill is to apply statutory regulation to 18 health groups so as to protect the public. The Bill will provide a structure for the assessment and approval of training courses, examinations and qualifications which will put in place a proper development of education and training for certain health professions. At present, …