Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Carey. I welcome the action that the Minister and the Government have taken in regard to Covid, which was praised universally. We need to be in a position to praise a new dynamic response, which the Minister appears to be promising right now.

This is having an effect right across my county and my constituency. I know of a company that has 140 employees whose bill has gone from €15,000 to €50,000 per month. I know of a well-established Drogheda company whose electricity bill has gone from €10,000 to €25,000 per month. There is a food hall in Dundalk which is 38 years in business and its bill has gone from €3,674 to €9,000 per month. It is unsustainable and they will not be able to meet the increasing cost. They are looking at reducing workers’ hours, lay-offs, increases in prices, closing temporarily and, in the case of manufacture, possibly moving to another jurisdiction.

I believe that all and every opportunity must be grasped in regard to all other possible supports, like reducing other taxes that may be on these companies and subsidising wages if there is a proven bill and there is now an excess on that. There might be other ways of finding supports for companies other than what is happening right now. It is unsustainable for these businesses.

We are inundated with calls. I appreciate and acknowledge the Tánaiste's concern.

See this speech in context