Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak to the Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill because it is important. We, as Members, are elected to represent our constituents from all around the country, and I, for County Kerry, support the Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill, quite simply because every method of finance that is directed, particularly to our SMEs, is important at this critical time. I am here today to represent the business people of Kerry - the farmers, fishermen, small operators, and whatever type of people who are in business and are trying to keep, create and sustain the jobs they already have, keep their families and themselves in gainful employment, or get them back into gainful employment.

It is important, in speaking to this Bill, that I mention the important role our mainstay banks, credit unions and post offices have to play. Every institution that has anything to do with finance must co-operate and work with our small businesses and do everything to ensure they will be able to get up and running again. For far too long the doors have been closed. It is through nobody's fault. It had to be done. The wheels of industry have stopped rolling. We want desperately to get these businesses up and running again.

On the issue of our credit unions and the important role they will play over the coming weeks and months, the regulatory levies imposed on them have gone up 264% in the past four or five years. That is totally unfair and wrong and should never have happened. I cannot understand why regulatory fees should have gone up by such an enormous amount.

Our post offices must be supported because these are institutions of the State that will be important in revitalising our small businesses.

We are charged with working here for the next number of weeks to ensure that the July provision will be rolled out and will be a positive measure, and to ensure that all the money Ireland can access abroad is brought here and put into various schemes in order that the economy can get going again. That is very important.

I want to emphasise that at this time small businesses want grants rather than loans. Many of the small businesses we are trying to support already have loans that they can longer sustain or carry. They need grants and assistance. I compliment and thank the previous Government for putting in place the wage subsidy scheme and the working capital loan scheme. I wish to thank in advance the new Government for keeping them in place. We are desperately relying on the Minister of State and others, including the new Taoiseach, to support our small businesses.

As has been stated, I am worried about the Taoiseach's comments. I want to put on the record of the Dáil that the Taoiseach should not paint all of Ireland with a Dublin brush when he is considering what to do over the coming days and weeks. He, more than anybody in the world, should know that there is a world beyond the Red Cow roundabout. I want him to think of that when he is making any decisions. With the permission of the Whip, I will propose an amendment to section 120 of the Bill. I will discuss this matter with the Whip. It is an important amendment and shows that when decisions are being made the areas affected should be looked at in isolation rather than in terms of the totality of the country as happened before.

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