Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Calleary for bringing forward this motion. Most people in the private sector around the country are employed by small and medium-sized businesses - one, two, three and four-person operations.

Entrepreneurs never got a hand or leg up and had to do things on their own. Many of them have employed people countrywide, fought their way through the recession and struggled on without any real help.

Many people have approached me over the past few months about setting up a business, which is great for the country and communities. However, there is little in terms of incentives or assistance to help the person who has not got much funding behind him or her. We need to address the situation whereby the red carpet is rolled out for companies locating here under the guise of foreign direct investment while nothing but obstacles and paperwork are put in the way of Paddy Irish man. We need to look at this in a new way.

As stated by Deputy Finian McGrath, there are many companies whose loans have been sold on by the banks. The banks are treating the people concerned with contempt and often refuse even to engage with them. I acknowledge and welcome that it is proposed to introduce incentives in this area. However, we need also to ensure that SMEs are protected and given tax breaks. Like many other Members of this House, I am an employer. In the case of a business that goes bust tomorrow, while all of the employees can sign on the following day despite that the employer may have a family to raise, the only thing he or she gets is realms of paperwork and the prospect of emigration. This must change. We need to ensure proper tax breaks are put in place for the private sector.

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