Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste. There is a huge opportunity with that. I would like to know what level of interest has been expressed to him on the State-backed guarantee scheme. I recall during Covid there was scepticism about a previous iteration of that but the number of companies taking up the opportunity of those loans was actually very high. It is something that could be kept in perpetuity as a model for financing corporates that are trying to get through difficult periods or trying to expand in particular ways. The Family Business Network highlighted to me that energy is a major element in manufacturing.

Among its members, on average, fuel costs have gone up 80%, freight costs are up 20% and chemical, steel and similar input costs have gone up between 15% and 25%. These are major additional costs for any business. I will address energy prices in my next contribution.

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