John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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But that is the problem. We are referring to the State. Mr. Cahillane stated that it would cost the State zero, but it will cost the State. Small companies will go bust and their employees, who will be out of jobs, will sign on for jobseeker's payments or whatever they can get.

There will be a cost to society and communities because those small businesses will be gone.

I was in business. It is not easy to get back to profitability having lost the kind of money we are discussing. If any of the SMEs is listening, it will draw no comfort from what Mr. Cahillane has said. SMEs will wonder where they fit into the figure of 2%, but they do not. They will be further down the chain. They will hear an uncaring state telling them that all of the other companies are responsible for this, that or the other and that the NDFA, because it has been hands off, cannot play a role. I suggest it can.

As far as subcontractors are concerned, the procurement process is flawed. The State has ignored the mistakes of the past. That is down to the advice the NDFA has given. I saw contracts work where there were a number of contractors involved and the person at the bottom of the line was still protected. If the State was caring and the NDFA advised accordingly, they would use the existing methods to protect the person at the end of the line - in this case, SMEs. What will the NDFA now advise the Government or whomever it advises to do to protect SMEs, including the company that is owed €250,000? What advice will it give in the context of the new contract on which it is engaging?