Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I congratulate Deputy Varadkar on bringing the Bill to the House. It is a pity we do not have more time to discuss it, because any one of the 18 points Fine Gael has outlined to ensure the small business fraternity gets a fair crack of the whip is worthwhile and together they make a great package. It will be clear to people that Fine Gael is the only pro-enterprise party from whom they will get any help.

The Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, knows better than most that the business environment, especially for small businesses, is a jungle. There was never anything like it for the past 50 years. One employer who has 15 people working for him told me that Fridays come very often in his case. He was referring to the fact that he has to pay his staff every week. He said one of the things he noticed is that, while heretofore the strategy of the company was to sell product and get salesmen out into the field, the most important employee in his company now is the person who collects the debts. No other person on the payroll is more important than that individual.

I am disappointed with the Government that it has postponed further discussion of the Bill. That is a stalling exercise. Why would it take the Attorney General and whoever else is involved six months to sort out legal anomalies for something that is so important to both employers and employees of small businesses at a time when we have 400,000 people out of work? Why would one want to postpone a measure for six months that might have a positive effect on keeping even five people in a job? I cannot understand why the Government is doing that.

In the context of balanced regional development, small industry is the only way in which industry will get a hold in the regions. We must get vibrant companies back up and running again. That will be difficult to achieve because the IDA's approach is to focus on large firms. We know there is a critical mass and that certain companies must be located in large cities. Whatever hope places like Ballinasloe, Tuam, Loughrea, Gort and Mountbellew have, it will not be based on a reliance on large firms. We must ensure we allow small businesses every chance to thrive and beat all the bureaucratic traps that are put in their way.

I beg the Minister of State to ask the Revenue Commissioners, sheriffs and everybody else that is involved to show compassion. I accept they are not doing too badly. I am aware of a firm in the west that employs 26 people. It ran into trouble only because of the recession. It is possible to retain those 26 jobs this year and next year. It is important that some of the moneys due to the Revenue Commissioners could be paid in instalments to allow the company to work its way out of trouble. If the company is wound up the 26 workers will be finished and the Revenue Commissioners will get next to nothing. Why should the two parties not work out a detailed plan of action to allow the company to work its way out of its difficulties? I urge the Minister of State to bring back that suggestion to the Revenue Commissioners.

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