Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the struggles that small and medium-sized businesses, SMEs, are facing in Carlow and Kilkenny as a result of State inefficiencies and bureaucracy.

SMEs make up over 99% of businesses in the enterprise economy in Ireland and account for almost 70% of people employed. Put simply, our local businesses are the heart of our economy. These businesses create and sustain employment in every community across this country. While large multinationals boost employment in larger urban areas such as Dublin, it is local businesses that ensure the economic recovery is felt across all communities, including in Carlow and Kilkenny. We regularly hear that the Government wishes to promote local businesses in expanding their orders, winning contracts and increasing employment. The Taoiseach has repeatedly stated that he wants Ireland to be the best country in the world in which to do business. We support that ambition. However, despite all the talk, press releases and policy announcements, situations still arise in which State agencies impose unnecessary delays and inefficiencies which are undermining local companies that are ambitious and wish to build up their businesses.

I will illustrate my point with the example of a small business in Carlow which is losing important business due to significant delays by the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, in issuing the company's compliance certificates. Keltruck Bodies Ltd. is a company that manufactures truck bodies. It employs 13 full-time staff in its workshop on O'Brien Road in Carlow town. Every truck body the company manufactures must be certified by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. It currently takes between four and six weeks for the NSAI to certify a truck body from Keltruck Bodies. This means that four to six weeks are added to the wait time for customers.

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, stated in a response to my party leader on this matter on 13 May that the time for review should only be two weeks. The equivalent process in the UK can be carried out within 24 hours by its standards authority. Many of the customers of Keltruck Bodies are UK based and the company is losing exports to the UK due to the four- to six-week wait for a compliance certificate from the NSAI.

This is a perfect example of how the State is undermining local businesses in their quest to compete nationally and internationally. One cause for the delay is clearly reduced staff levels in the National Standards Authority of Ireland with staff numbers reducing from 168 when the Fianna Fáil Party was last in government to the current figure of 140. These delays are having a dramatic impact on local companies in their desire to expand their business. I call on the Minister to address the issue immediately.

This is another example of red tape gone mad. The company in question is willing to export but must wait between six and eight weeks for certificate of compliance from the NSAI. The business employs 19 people and I ask the Minister to address the problem. The same certification can be obtained in the United Kingdom within 24 hours. Why do companies trying to survive and maintain employment have to wait between four and six weeks for a certificate of compliance? I ask the Minister to do something about the problem.

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