Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for providing that response, but it is not satisfactory. I do not believe it reflects commercial reality to say a company carrying its own goods is not in competition with registered hauliers. They are in competition. Every company has to look at its costs which will include the cost of transport. Whether a business transports its own goods or sub-contracts this work, it is a financial decision. Every company running a fleet must bear in mind what the cost would be in sub-contracting out the work to a registered haulier. Every business has to keep its costs down in order to be competitive. It will always consider the cost of using external hauliers. I, therefore, reject the premise that small businesses are not in competition when carrying their own goods compared to registered hauliers. The price comparison between the two is fundamental to every business. We want to keep own account operators rather than have the work contracted out to external hauliers, many of whom may not be based in Ireland.

I have never driven from Portlaoise to Dublin or vice versaduring the past two years without encountering one of that company's trucks. The company in question is not Irish. Small local businesses which carry their own goods are in competition with some of the multinational transport companies, some of which are not based in the State.

I am disappointed by the Minister of State's reply. I accept that making the change at this stage was probably too much of an ask, particularly in view of the number of people involved. However, the point we are making is, in essence, extremely fair. There should have been a fuel rebate for those involved in the transport industry. The way in which the rebate, in the context of the definition, is restricted in the Bill has led to the exclusion of many who transport their own goods. These individuals may now be of the view that they have no option other than to let their employees go and hire in external contract hauliers to do work previously done internally.

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