Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's approach, as opposed to divide and conquer in a classroom, is to have the good student and the not-so-good student who he fails to understand. It is beneath the Minister and it does not do him justice with regard to the issue being raised. I did not ask him about the extension of the programmes he has. I asked what was the follow-up from the report that identified serious difficulties with small to medium-sized enterprises, particularly going up to 2024. I asked him to focus on that. I acknowledged that the Minister did not need to read out the answer to the question to give him extra time to look at the difficulties identified by two reports, last year and this year, relating to small to medium-sized enterprises, and I am highlighting what the reports are telling us. The SMEs are the backbone of the country, as the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, has repeatedly told us in the Dáil. I agree with him and with the Minister. However, they are highlighted as being in particular trouble. I am not sure why the Minister is shaking his head, but I will try to avoid it and concentrate on the issue. However, my time is up. The Minister is saved by the bell.

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