Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McGrath for bringing this motion forward. However, we would not be here if Facebook or any of the big American companies were making this an issue. The Minister of State would dance to their tune immediately. However, this is an issue that is predominantly crucifying small businesses throughout the country. We are here because the Minister of State would not listen to the representations made by small businesses from around the country at the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. Our report is being allowed gather dust while businesses across the country are being fleeced by their insurance companies. They are using these small businesses to rebuild their balance sheets and cash reserves that were ruined by bad management decisions.

The Government cannot stand by and look at these kind of increases - tens of thousands of euro each year - that effect many small businesses. It cannot continue to ignore that happening and the impact that it is having on small business owners and on employment creation. There was a much-derided ambition to make Ireland the best place in the world to do business by 2016. However, for many that did not happen because they were put out of business by not being able to afford insurance and not being able to reinsure. The Minister of State needs to act on the report. Settlements that are made out of court on a nod and wink basis, that businesses are being made to pay for, need to be published. We need to ensure that serial suers who claim against multiple businesses are highlighted, even if their cases are somewhat dubious.

Urgency needs to be injected into dealing with this debate. I refer to the need for an urgency and understanding at Government level, and at permanent Government level, of the kind of increases that businesses are facing. People are either being forced out of business or to carry on their business without insurance. That is illegal in many cases. The Minister's inaction is forcing small businesses into illegal action. They just want to get on with the job of being a business. Is lá na Gaeilge é inniu, agus tá gnóanna beaga faoin bhrú céanna agus atá an teanga in Éirinn freisin. Do not give us the standard Government response. It is unfortunate that there is nobody from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation here. Do something about it.

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