Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for the opportunity to say a few words. I only have a few minutes so I will focus on supports for businesses in the face of the energy and cost-of-doing-business crisis. The difficulties Irish businesses are currently facing are felt most acutely by SMEs and family businesses, those that were that were hardest hit during the Covid pandemic. In the main, these are businesses that have really been through the mill over recent years. Their costs have risen across the board. This is for a variety of reasons but is mainly due to increasing energy costs and the impact these have had on inflation. Businesses have tried to remain agile. If the Minister speaks with business owners, he will know, as I do, that many of them are doing their very best. They are trying to adapt to the changes, in some instances by absorbing the increased costs to try to remain competitive. Naturally, this has an impact on SMEs and family businesses whose margins are often very tight. However, in the long run, this may prove to be unsustainable for many.

The temporary business energy support scheme announced on budget day and legislated for here is welcome. Businesses eagerly await its introduction. The legislation indicates that the scheme will go further than was announced on budget day and will include tax-compliant businesses that carry on a trade or profession chargeable under case I or case II of Schedule D, including self-employed individuals, companies and partnerships. The explanatory memorandum says that "Charities and sporting bodies who carry on certain activities which would be chargeable to tax under Case I or II of Schedule D but for an available exemption are also included in the scheme." On this point, will approved housing bodies be eligible to apply for supports? Clarification from the Minister would be very much appreciated. Will energy supports for senior citizens' organisations or other such charities come through the Minister's Department or will they be delivered through another mechanism or Department?

Has the Minister engaged directly with small businesses that are concerned the new scheme will not be enough to help them with their energy costs? Did the Government give any consideration to a targeted scheme to support the maintenance of the employment relationship between worker and employer as a means of supporting affected businesses or is it the case that this move would be beyond the scope of the flexibility that currently exists under EU state aid rules? I ask because many businesses and stakeholders have indicated that in addition to energy costs, costs that have increased due to inflation, including the cost of transport, fuel, stock and insurance, are also causing difficulty.

I thank the Acting Chair for allowing me time to speak on this. If the Minister cannot answer my question, I hope he will be in a position to provide me with a written response. Like me and many others, I believe the Minister was angered to see those companies that came through the Covid pandemic while in receipt of substantial supports to keep them afloat during that crisis subsequently paying out dividends to their shareholders and reporting significant profits. This underlines the need for serious targeted measures to be introduced. Everybody is being impacted to some degree by the cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business crisis. No household is insulated from it. However, some people will experience it to a different degree than others. There are some businesses that, while viable, are now vulnerable and concerned about having to compete for supports with businesses that are well able to absorb some of those costs. I ask that the Minister give consideration to the amendments that will be put forward on Committee Stage to include more targeted measures.

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