Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I very much appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the debate and I thank Deputy Perry for tabling the motion. I am surprised and disappointed that a man of the calibre of the Minister of State would support the Government amendment because I always thought he was an honourable man. The second paragraph of the amendment states, "notes the intensive work underway within the Government in relation to further small and medium enterprises, SMEs, credit initiatives while at the same time ensuring that banks fulfil their commitments given to Government to lend to this sector". The only commitment the Government made this year was to bail out the banks. It has pumped billions of euro into the banks over the past number of years.

Small and medium-sized business are the life, soul and bloodline of the country. The Minister of State comes from a rural constituency, as do many backbenchers who will walk through the lobby tonight to support the amendment. They know the importance of such businesses in their communities because they are the only companies sustaining employment where they can remain open. Since January, a total of 1,132 small businesses have closed. That is a deplorable reflection on the Government. When the bank guarantee scheme was introduced in this Chamber by the Minister for Finance, he said "a wall of cash" would be available to small and medium-sized businesses. Government backbenchers raced to these business owners in their constituencies to tell them this great news but, unfortunately, the complete opposite has happened.

I refer to the tax revenues generated by these businesses for the State over the past number of years. They include €500 million in corporation tax, more than €500 million in PRSI, €3 billion in income tax and €4 billion in VAT. Ministers should be ashamed of themselves that so many small and medium-sized businesses are closing. All one has to do is visit any small town in Ireland to see the number of shops that have closed. Everything from sweetshops and pubs to clothes shops have closed. The Government parties will not listen to alternative solutions, which is why the country is in trouble. They will not listen to the ideas proposed on this side of the House or outside the House. They want to stick to the failed ideas they have implemented over a long number of years.

As Deputy Bruton said, it is about time they got up and smelled the coffee. They are past that though because they cannot even smell the reality of what has happened on the ground over the past two years. They are more interested in protecting bankers and others who have protected them for years and making sure they can remain snug. The Minister for Finance said a wall of cash would be available when NAMA was established. There is a wall but I assure the Minister of State there is no cash. I commend the motion to the House.

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