John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

It has been a long time since I saw such an important debate in this House being completely ignored by Government. In spite of the apology from the Minister of State, it is an insult to the House and to the people of whom we speak that no Minister was present to take the debate. The Cabinet may have sent in two juniors to listen to us but all the Government benches are empty. That does not bode well for how seriously this debate is being taken. The Ministers of State should carry back that message to Cabinet and explain exactly what they heard in the debate.

I refer to Permanent TSB and the general debate we have heard on the SME sector, negative equity and the availability of finance. Most Deputies who spoke stated tonight what they have stated in other debates during the past 12 months. Nothing has changed. There is one thing that can happen. The Government can begin to wake up from its slumber and take this issue seriously. Why does it not call in Permanent TSB and tell it what to do? Like others, this bank received taxpayers' money to keep its doors open. Our money went into those banks to keep them sorted. Some of that money was specifically tagged for the SME sector and to assist those in mortgage difficulties, yet there is a growing number of people in serious difficulty with their homes and businesses. The Government is doing nothing about it. All the talk in the world, in this debate or in any other in this House, will mean nothing to anybody if an action is not taken. The Government should bring in Permanent TSB, tell it what to do and tell it to backdate it.

The Credit Review Office should be given teeth and a function or it should be closed down. It is doing a disservice to the whole system within this country and only offers the illusion of giving assistance to people. They get no assistance.

Some €7 billion was given to the banks to give to the SME sector, but only €1.7 was lent in new funding. The rest went to restructuring. I ask both Ministers of State present to ask the Minister for Finance to take back that money and give it to the credit unions, which can work with the county enterprise boards, although the Government is beginning to scuttle these too, dumbing them down so that they cannot function. Let us do this now and let us give that money to the SME sector to create jobs.

The State is working against its own people and against the SME sector. I offer the example of the National Employment Rights Authority, NERA, in my constituency which is now moving in on hairdressers and barbers, using SI 99 as part of the Minimum Wage Act 2000 in order to close them down. At a time when we want people to create jobs and apprenticeships, NERA is going into these businesses and tying up the people involved with red tape and bureaucracy, putting their apprentices out of work. What is the Government going to do about that?

I offer another example, this time concerning the Department of Agriculture and Food and relating to a special investigations unit that has moved in on veterinary practices. There is one such practice in Kilkenny now, fighting for its life with five jobs, receiving no word from the Department or the Minister, and no respect for its business. The unit has not explained to the business why it is being questioned and investigated. There has been only intimidation and bully boy tactics in regard to that business, a viable, well organised and well funded one that has respect in the local community. The Government is assisting the Department in what can only be described a Hoover-type instrument, similar to what the FBI had, to go into that business and close it down. It is not the first example and the Government has not changed it. That is what the State is doing to the SME sector. If it is not the banks, it is NERA or the special investigations unit. I ask the Minister of State to connect himself to the real world, to understand the difficulties facing mortgage holders and what is happening to families and their homes in terms of negative equity and to understand the struggle of small businesses to sustain the number of jobs they have. The Government is coming in with a heavy hand. As the Minister of State listens to this debate, I am not sure he will go back with the same passion and intention to the Departments causing these problems and effect some action to save the few jobs we have and to save the communities depending on the jobs.

I have heard people from both sides of the House talk about negative equity and people losing their homes. The Government is causing that to happen. In the election campaign, it promised reform and action but it has given nothing. I suggest the Government wakes up, pays attention and does something.

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