Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I concur with a lot of what has been said by my colleagues. Whilst this is about SMEs, it is important to note that the restoration in international confidence in this country over the past number of years is of considerable importance in the multinational sector and there is such a significant connection in many SMEs that get business from a thriving multinational sector. Up and down the country, there are SMEs that benefit from the multinational sector.

The Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation of which I am a member launched a cross-party report a number of weeks ago on sustaining and revitalising rural towns and centres, many of which have become denuded of residents and businesses. As with any such report, we had stakeholders in, including businesses, to give their views over the previous number of months and we toured various areas as well. Some of the issues businesses raised are the ones that are thrown out much of the time about rates. Parking was a big issue. For example, there were concerns that consumers coming into town were afraid of over-zealous parking attendants and not willing to stay around in town as a result. Also, they raised the need for incentives for empty and derelict units in towns and villages. As has been raised previously, we also need to look at the potential to bring residents back into town centres and villages through living over shops or businesses. That, in itself, is an incentive. It would provider greater footfall and more people around the town, and that would be better for business.

I also concur that there is an anomaly in the lack of supports for self-employed who go out of business. Deputy Fitzmaurice and Deputy Collins have touched on this. It is most important and must be dealt with. It is not fair that those who put their life and soul into a business can end up with nothing whereas their employees rightly get the benefits. The employers get nothing and that needs to be changed as soon as possible.

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