John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am glad to have the opportunity of making a few points on this crucial debate and I commend Deputy Perry on tabling the motion and outlining how the implementation of these suggestions would have a positive effect on the survival and growth of small businesses. I was present in Ballina on Monday last when the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, and the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, announced 250 new jobs in Hollister Ireland. I shook the hand of the Minister of State and it was a happy occasion. There is universal welcome for those jobs. I would like to think there would be similar announcements for my county every week or month, but I do not hold my breath. These jobs were badly needed in Ballina and in the county because many more than 250 were lost in Ballina in recent times, most of them in the small business sector whose credit has been shut off in the past two years because of the financial crisis.

Nobody is suggesting that non-viable businesses should be supported by handing out buckets of cash to businesses without a chance of success but we have gone from a situation a few years ago, when money was being shovelled out, to the present state of affairs. I know one small business at that time that sought €50,000 and was offered €300,000. The businessperson was so cautious at the time that the company did not proceed but later figures proved that it could have taken on two or three additional staff if it had proceeded as originally proposed. Now it can get nothing. I emphasise those two or three jobs because it is the two or three jobs lost that make up the majority of the 450,000 people who are unemployed. These twos and threes will not make national or even local headlines but they have the same effect on those losing jobs and their families.

Much has been spoken about in recent weeks and months by our economic experts and on all sides of this House about getting the balance right between spending cuts and tax increases, and the balance between savings and stimulation. One area where balance has not been fair is in the small business sector. Charges and costs have gone through the roof and income and turnover gone through the floor. I would agree with the point Deputy Fahey made about the increased regulation in recent years.

The Fine Gael motion is an honest effort to redress that balance and deserves the support of this House. I will finish by quoting from a letter to today's edition of The Irish Times:

One does not need to hold an economic title to know that small businesses need access to finance (i.e. cash) to support their businesses and to pay their 800,000 taxpaying employees. Business owners do not need more talk, more interdepartmental discussion, more economic assessment; they need action on making finance available and accessible, and they need it now.

Our proposal is self-financing and would not cost anything. It was implemented in Northern Ireland in 2008 and has worked there. We hear much about consensus; I ask for consensus from across the floor for this motion.

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