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

Most of the businesses that are closing are SMEs: small, local and medium enterprises. They are not international businesses. They are small, local enterprise businesses. What the Government could have done in the interim, which would have had an immediate effect, was to have reduced VAT back to 9% across the board. It was brought in for the interim before. It worked and it could work now until we find a solution.

I am a father and a grandfather. I listened to a man recently, as I have listened to many parents recently. They have four children and their fourth child is now leaving the country to set up their life in another country. They are following their brothers and sisters across the water. The young man said to his father, “Dad, I am sorry, I am going". He said he will never afford a house in this country, that he will live and work here but never have anything here. He said he will now follow his brothers and sisters to create a life. We have all seen people leaving this country in their youth, and then come home to set up their families and live here. He said that will no longer be the case. They are leaving and they are not coming home because they no longer see home as sustainable for them to raise their families into the future. They have to do it in another country because they cannot do it at home.

I am asking the Taoiseach to intervene now, reduce the VAT rate to 9% now and protect our small businesses. The multinationals can protect themselves but our Irish local businesses need the Government's help and need it now.

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