Mr. Eoin McCambridge:

I will deal with the question on business and employment. I am a shopkeeper with a one-premises business. Two years ago we looked into expanding our business and opening a second outlet. We had all of the work and planning done, but at the time we were finalising the expansion and just about to sign, we received notification that our insurance premium would increase from €52,000 to €102,000, a huge increase. Given other costs such as rates and rental costs, we decided not to go ahead. The second outlet would have been located in a sizeable premises and we would have employed between 30 and 40 people when we opened. The doubling of my insurance premium three years in a row was part of the decision we decided not to open the new premises. My current premium could have increased to €200,000 this year. Fortunately, it did not, but the previous increases affected my ability to expand the business.