The following motion was moved by Deputy Dara Calleary on Tuesday, 23 October 2012:That Dáil Éireann:recognises:- the fact that there are 200,000 small businesses in this country that employ more than 655,000 people; - the ongoing credit and cash flow problems being endured by small businesses; - that in 2010, employers paid €5 billion or 75 per cent of the total contributions to the Social Insurance Fund; - that cost competitiveness is one of the key determinants of every firm’s success; and - that if the cost of doing business is reduced, firms in Ireland will become more competitive; agrees that: - the plans of the Minister for Social Protection, to impose what would amount to an additional €89 million in taxation on struggling businesses with the introduction of a new sick pay scheme, should not proceed; - the Minister is using flawed and misleading international comparisons in justifying her plans; - an additional taxation burden on employers will drive many small and medium enterprises out of business, damaging the economy and generating more unemployment; and - the Government has failed to tackle rising costs for businesses; and calls on the Government not to proceed with the job-destroying Statutory Sick Pay Scheme.

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