Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Our small and medium-sized businesses are not only surviving but are growing in our economy because recovery is on its way. I will give an indication of some of the difficulties small and medium-sized businesses have in this country. A meeting will take place tomorrow week in the Tower Hotel in Waterford between 8.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. The idea is to give advice and support - the Minister of State, who is in the House, will be speaking at the event - to small and medium-sized enterprises. Some 25 State agencies will be available on the day for those who wish to start up or grow their businesses. This gives an indication of the amount, and scope, of regulation, legislation and everything else that goes with small and medium-sized businesses with which people have to deal.

People talk about the difficulties they have in business in this country today but the reason is they need to know so much to run a successful business, which is important. I am proud to be a member of the pro-business group within Fine Gael. It is important to give support to businesses because it is not only the employers and their families who matter but also the employees and their families who are so dependent on these businesses not only surviving, but growing in the future.

I know the Minister is doing his absolute best. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, should be commended on the excellent work they have done in recent years to turn around a situation in which we were losing thousands of jobs every month to a situation where we are back to creating jobs and enterprise. I know that Deputy Kelleher, who is avidly waiting to speak, as a former Minister of State with responsibility for enterprise, will no doubt be singing the praises of the Ministers to whom I have referred.

See this speech in context