Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If a Minister or Government Department was sponsoring legislation, there would be a regulatory impact assessment, which should be carried out on most legislation. We are partly doing that here by way of this exercise. Have the Deputy or the people who helped him with the Bill - Mandate or whoever - considered the potential impact on small business and small employers vis-à-visthe big people? Big businesses can look after themselves and they are the problem, as we know. I have not had much evidence or much contact from employees of small businesses on this issue, but as the Deputy knows, if legislation is enacted, if it applies to one, it applies to all. That is part of the circle that we are going to have to try to square. The Deputy would appreciate that point. What are the Deputy's thoughts on that in terms of a small employer trying to keep itself going with all the pressures of being an SME in the current environment and economy? It is a real issue for all of us.