Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I welcome the Bill and the Minister's commitment that employment will continue to be the Government's top priority. This Government is committed to jobs but I ask the Minister to tell his Cabinet colleagues that rather than carry out the budgetary process in public and on the airwaves of our national broadcaster they might do it privately in the Cabinet room. That would do us all a service.

The Minister, Deputy Bruton, has gone about his business quietly. He is committed to small and medium enterprises and to indigenous industry. The Minister is correct. Rebuilding the foundations of the economy requires changing the way we operate in terms of our small and medium enterprises but that requires working banks that lend to and work with business. It requires us having sustainable businesses. It requires having entrepreneurs with ideas who are risk takers, about whom Deputy Ó Cuív spoke, and the need to work with them. We must help those people and not put a barrier in their way. The Taoiseach has spoken about this country being the best country in the world in which to do business. That is the task we have been given.

The Minister spoke about creating a strong indigenous industry, stimulus and creating jobs. That is what we must do, and it requires our banks to work with people, but what Ulster Bank has done this week is reprehensible. It is unacceptable that the bank has gone into hiding and today, Wednesday, we still have not got an answer to the problem. Those are the banks that our businesses require to work with them.

Enterprise Ireland today announced record exports of €15.2 billion. That is an extraordinary result which shows the importance of the indigenous industry and that it is, as the Minister correctly stated, central to achieving growth in jobs in our country. That is the reason it is important that we work with and pass this Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill.

It is extraordinary that there are no Members in the House other than Government Members. What does that say about the jobs issue? It says there are four Government Members who are prepared to come in here at 9.40 p.m. to speak about this Bill because we understand its importance. We do not want to engage in rhetoric but speak about the importance of seeing people who emigrated return here and those who went abroad to start up businesses coming home to reinvest in our own country.

This Bill is about helping indigenous small business and the domestic market. In its budget last year this Government rightly targeted the hospitality sector. In terms of the spin-off, Deputy Griffin is aware of it in Killarney and Kerry South. I am aware of it in the city of Cork and in west Cork. Restaurants in Cork are now employing more people. They have better offers. One can go into Cork city on a week night and get three courses of quality food for €20 because this Government took an initiative to attract people to this country. Similarly, as we saw today, the thriving export market is an indication that we can work, and we must build on our domestic market.

I fully agree with the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, that small businesses, or microenterprises as we now call them, are the catalyst to getting our country and our economy moving. That is important.

The fundamental point is that we must go back to our banks, which I believe are codding all of us in the way they are not working with people or allowing any leeway in terms of different types of loans, overdrafts and working capital. They are penalising harshly the small and medium enterprises. I know there are some who are starting up who are being squeezed, so to speak, and are finding it difficult but we must reward them and give them opportunities to grow and develop. Otherwise, we will be stagnant and there will be no further growth. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak.

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