Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach was in Limerick during the week at the Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards. When he spoke there, people were disillusioned and wondering if it was actually the Taoiseach speaking or an independent Deputy because what he was saying is not actually what his Government is carrying out. They actually thought, at the start of his speech, that he was reading my speech, with the things he was trying to introduce.

This is the story of a local business in Limerick before the budget. Before the budget was announced the store was already under immense pressure dealing with electricity bills which had increased from €8,000 to €15,000 and insurance costs that had gone up from €15,000 to €22,000. The alcohol segregation laws added costs of €5,000, while the cost of fuel meant that the margin on goods was reduced. Changes to statutory sick pay had resulted in an increase in rates of absenteeism. The business contacted me again after the budget and said that the Government had confirmed more increases. The minimum wage went up to €12.70, which will cost the business €25,0000. A new public holiday was introduced and pension auto-enrolment will cost €8,000, while changes to employer's PRSI will cost €4,000. Statutory sick pay is rising to five days, which will cost €6,000, while the deposit return scheme, the latte levy and decarbonisation costs will amount to €15,000. Before the budget, the business, a local supermarket, faced increases of €19,000 and after the budget its costs increased by €58,000, which means the business is facing a total increase of €77,000.

We saw the minimum wage increase but people are not fooled. Who is going to pay for the cost of all of these increases in our local supermarkets? The people who are getting the minimum wage. The minimum wage goes nowhere. All it has done is increase the cost of living. It has increased inflation. People may have more money in their pocket but they are paying more for goods. Employers are paying more money to employ people, which means that the only purse that got bigger was the Government's income tax. The Government is forcing small businesses that create local employment out of business. That is what the minimum wage has done. The Government had it within its grasp to reduce taxes, which would mean that the money in people's pockets would travel further. All that the Government has done is increase taxes across the board. Those who earn more pay more. The Government has increased inflation for every small business in this country and has crippled them.

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