Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Government has made a big mistake by not including LPG in the TBESS, which is designed to help viable businesses to survive in the current spike in energy prices. This has excluded many rural businesses unfairly from the support scheme. The Minister of State must appreciate the fear and anger caused in rural Ireland when businesses were informed by Revenue that the TBESS will only apply to those metered in the supply of gas and electricity. As people in Mayo are all too aware, mains natural gas is simply not available in that part of the country. This does not make sense. It was a mistake, an unintended consequence. It means that businesses in rural Ireland that rely on bulk gas purchase of LPG are denied access to the scheme. These businesses, like many others, have seen unsustainable increases in their energy costs. Rural Ireland and Mayo seem to be an afterthought for the Government.

I want to get this right. I hoped it was an oversight that would be addressed but, disappointingly, when I raised it with the previous Minister of State, he said he would not review the scheme until after it had closed at the end of February, when it is too late for businesses to access the support. This is wholly unacceptable and it risks doing irreparable damage to our rural economies. The Government must see reason and allow all businesses to access the support. Businesses in Mayo and across rural Ireland cannot afford to be treated in this unfair manner. This has to be put right. We have all the auditing done by Revenue so the Government can tell how much energy is being used this year, how much it cost, how many units have been used and what was used last year. The differential can be quantified in order for these businesses to be included in the support scheme. There is no reason whatsoever they cannot be included. These businesses are employing people in places like Achill, Ballina, Belmullet and similar areas across the county. They deserve much better than this. I am asking the Minister of State to please reverse this and right the wrong.

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