Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the appointment of the Minister of State, Deputy English. I am very concerned. Like many speakers tonight I support the thrust of the Bill and the need for it. With no disrespect to the departmental officials present, the Bill is drawn up by mandarins in the Department. This is a problem for me. Why do we not have business people in here who can be consulted and engaged with and who could then draw up a Bill? This scheme will be a failure. I do not want to be a prophet of doom and gloom or to be pessimistic but we already have rates waivers for business people who pay VAT and are registered for tax yet throughout July the councils sent out the July moiety of the rates for the next six months.

I understand they have to do that under law but businesses have not got a shilling, not a red cent, from the previous or current Government.

All the promises are rolling out. First, the Government said it would be €2 billion and now that will be €1.5 billion, or whatever. It is all schemes and rhymes but it is not practicable or workable. It will hit ordinary businesspeople until such time as we tackle the utility companies, the insurance companies and the banks. The banks are not functioning. Why is the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, in charge of the scheme? Will it lend to its friends in the pillar banks - AIB, Bank of Ireland and some others - which are not functioning?

The Minister of State stated this is the largest credit guarantee ever. It is, but what about the bank bailout? That was the biggest whopper we ever did. My children, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren and all our grandchildren will be paying it back. Let us cut out the baloney. We are in a huge crisis and pandemic. I have called it a scamdemic. The more I see of these schemes, and the more I see of what is going on, I am beginning to see I was 100% right. There is scamming everywhere. The banks are going to look at these business people, and if they do not have a good credit history, a line will be put through them straight away. The banks are not functioning. They are functioning to make profits. We fought hard in the previous Dáil and before it to bring in a model based on that of Kiwibank in New Zealand or that which existed in Germany. I thought that in Germany, it would all be companies such as Volkswagen that we are well aware of. When I was doing research, I was shocked to find out that between 80% and 85% of companies in Germany are small or medium enterprises, but they are supported. There are community banks and the profits go back into the community.

This is a bad start for the Government. It and several of its predecessors are in hock to the banks. We seem to be able just to adore and admire them on high, and we cannot say a word to them. During parliamentary questions last week, I happened to be in the Chair when the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Varadkar, did not come to the Chamber. I know there were different circumstances, but nonetheless we need answers and he is not here tonight either. He needs to get down and dirty instead of the Flash Harry kind of stuff he has on his Twitter, with #Leo and hashtag this and hashtag that. He should get down to the ordinary people who are trying to put food on the table, who are trying to employ themselves, keep themselves employed and employ other people.

This is all about jobs in the regions and it is SMEs that provide them. Our tourism industry is on its knees. It has not got a shilling. While those businesses that provide public services have got money and have received 50% of the funding, I am talking about the whole tourism industry if we get the borders open and if we become a green country again. It is more important that our country flourishes before we talk about green zones throughout the world. We should look after ourselves. Ní neart go cur le chéile. We should look after our people, but I do not believe that this scheme will do so or that it has the ability to do so. We have not touched the insurance industry, banking legislation or the utility companies. A hotelier in my town of Clonmel paid almost €9,000 in utility charges incurred while his hotel was closed. God almighty. That is daylight, night-time and 24-7 robbery. It is a plundering. Businesses are being plundered but the utility companies are getting away with it and are not being tackled.

Earlier I raised a very sensible idea. We are looking for a VAT reduction and the Government is minded not to give it, but it must give incentives to people so they will go out and spend. I was contacted by a number of hoteliers and ordinary bed and breakfast owners. There are many in my area and they are well noted. If the Ceann Comhairle gets an opportunity on his staycation this year, he might come down to the Nire Valley, to Hanora's Cottage and to O'Gorman's of Glasha. One will not get the like of them in the country: the hosts, the cuisine, the area and the way they look after people.

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