Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, was announced with fanfare some months ago after the budget as being the saviour of many rural and urban businesses. It has now transpired that many businesses in rural areas if they do not use gas - we do not have gas in many towns never mind in rural areas - and if they use oil for instance as their main way of creating industry, pressing the laundry industry and industries like that, will be denied access to this TBESS. That is totally discriminatory against rural Ireland again because such people do not have an opportunity to have piped gas in the towns. Many towns do not have it, never mind the countryside. Something needs to be done about this anomaly if it is a fact and I am told that it is. It is discriminatory against rural businesses and it must be changed.

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