Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I fear the budget will be a case of "A lot done. More to do". It is certain the supports for SMEs will not be enough to prevent a wave of insolvencies and redundancies in the coming months. I have brought the case of one manufacturing business to both the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It employs 45 people in the south east. Its production processes use both gas and electricity in both heating and cooling procedures. Its energy bill has rocketed from €8,000 per month to €45,000 per month and the owner sees the writing on the wall. He has told me that the second-last thing he wishes is for his business to close. The last thing he wishes is for him and his family is to go broke. The supports on offer to him as they stand are not adequate for his business to remain operational, offering wide employment and viable. His situation is not unique. I ask that the Taoiseach convene a business task force to study this unfolding crisis in the SME sector. Will the Government examine an enduring temporary lay-off scheme in the mode of the Covid employment wage subsidy scheme or perhaps even a more aggressive and ambitious renewal or retrofit scheme for SMEs? Can we look to segment the energy supports to ensure agrifood producers that consume huge amounts of energy through production can be additionally supported? Something needs to be done.

I am conscious this might be one of my final exchanges with the Taoiseach before he leaves the position. I draw his attention to the inequity of the continued resourcing of the Western Development Commission, WDC, versus other regions. The west is now awake and is one of the strongest-performing regions of Ireland. The midlands, Border and the south east are the economic laggards. To thrive and deliver on the programme for Government's aspirations around balanced regional development, these regions need the strategic regional thinking and resourcing the WDC has delivered to the west for a generation. I look at the miserly outturn of capital spending as a case in point. As the State plans to spend €10.8 billion on capital projects next year, there is a paltry amount due to be spent on strategic projects in the south east, Border and midlands. These regions need a form of conceptual thinking, with strategy development based on the deep applied research and regional cohesion the WDC-type structure offers. It is indefensible to many that we see continuing funding of the WDC while we deprive other regions that need these resources so badly being ignored.

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