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

While I welcome the explanation provided, I do not agree with it. As late as last week, the company in question informed me that it is still waiting between four and six weeks to be granted a certificate of approval. The Minister of State tells me a different story but I am sure the company knows best.

The Minister of State and I share the same constituency and she knows the area well. Everyone knows that small and medium enterprises are the lifeblood of the economy. Outside Dublin, between 70% and 80% of employees are employed in the SME sector. Any Government worth its salt would do everything in its power to help these enterprises, as all of us must do.

As I stated, this company has 19 employees and is willing to do a job but is being held up by bureaucracy. Is the National Standards Authority of Ireland fit for purpose? Does it have a sufficient number of employees to do its job? In the United Kingdom, the authorities can provide certification to similar companies within 24 hours. Only a few kilometres across the sea on this island, businesses seeking similar certification face a wait of between four and six weeks. There is something wrong with this and either the Minister or the NSAI should take responsibility for the problem. The NSAI must become more efficient. A waiting period of one or two weeks would make some sense but a waiting period of between four and six weeks does not make any sense. I ask the Minister of State to relay that message to the Minister and tell him that something needs to be done about this issue.

I asked my party leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, to raise this issue in the Dáil on my behalf in May after receiving a complaint while canvassing in the Carlow-Kilkenny by-election. I raise the issue again as a newly elected Deputy because no progress has been made for the company in question since Deputy Martin raised it. I do not want to raise it again in the House in three or four months' time. This company is willing to export and generate income for the country. Someone must do something about this issue and I ask the Minister to act immediately.

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