Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am a little but it is all very relevant and connected to small business people. They are at their wits end. They are trying to keep the doors open. People knock on their doors and ask them to sponsor them at Christmas and to support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and they do. They support anything that happens in the local community, as the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, knows. They support activities and give young people at college work at the weekends. The National Employment Rights Authority, NERA, which is another agency that should have been disposed of, is telling them they should be paying so much an hour when business people would have employed more young people.

I support this Bill 100%. I am very disappointed that the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, and the Government are not accepting it or at least not amending it and trying to do something with this meaningful piece of work. However, that is the system here, that is what has let the country down and that why the people are out on the street.

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