Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate what Mr. O'Neill is saying and certainly with respect to the large multinationals this legislation may cut off a small piece of their market and their business and they can easily absorb that. My concern is for Irish SMEs. They do not necessarily have the luxury of changing their software system overnight. On a macro level, whatever the cost of this legislation to the economy it is a price worth paying because we are trying to effect a certain outcome elsewhere in the world, but we are putting this on SMEs. We are not necessarily giving them a choice. It could be that it costs them several thousand or several hundred thousand.

It could be that the cost is prohibitive. It almost drives them out of business. Should there be an element of compensation in the legislation if a company finds itself put in that position? Have the witnesses seen in the past where a company like that would have the right to claim against the Government for the losses?