Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the appointment of the Minister of State with responsibility for small business and all the work that has been done, but there is no sense in having a dog that does not bark. The Minister knew that the employers' PRSI rate was going to change and yet this change to sick pay was brought in. The fact that the Minister knew that rate was going to change was another excuse to postpone the change to the sick pack scheme or to find the money from somewhere else because it is a double whammy for small businesses who are still in a very fragile position and do not have the money. There needs to be a whole of Government approach. There will be two major increases on 6 January for small businesses. They are in a very fragile position but nobody seems to be alert to it within government. The Minister needs to be able to stand up to the Minister, Deputy Burton, in particular, and in cases such as this one to defend small businesses against such charges and against her using them to pay for her budget.

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