Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will, but the Government is only getting 20 minutes in a two-hour debate. That also needs to be looked at.

I thank the Regional Group for proposing the motion. I particularly acknowledge the fact that many of its members are businesspeople and bring practical knowledge, unlike some of the suggestions we heard today. It is very important to say that the Government has been incredibly attentive to business needs over the years. We have introduced many measures for firms most affected by the changes and, as Deputy Nash referenced, the range of challenges that have faced businesses since 2016. We have assisted through commercial rates waivers, particularly in the context of Covid, restart grants, and small business assistance schemes. In the context of energy, which was referred to, there are the temporary business energy support scheme, the Ukraine enterprise scheme and other schemes. We have shown ourselves to be incredibly flexible.

We have also completely reformed the environment in which insurance operates. We have reformed the profile of risk to the extent that insurance companies should now be providing discounts. I agree with those Deputies who said the situation is not resolved. It is not resolved. The Government does not see it as resolved but we are committed to holding the insurance industry's feet to the fire to pass on the benefit of the reductions, in the context of the profile of risk, directly to profile holders. I am working with the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on that. We are working to expand the range of options and, most importantly, to ensure that the work done by every Member in this space is passed on to businesses and homeowners.

Warehousing tax changes have been dismissed as something minor but they are quite significant. In the context of interest being reduced and the changes made by the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, work permits have been expanded and made more flexible. Quite a lot is happening in the current crisis.

In the context of the reduced 9% VAT rate, many Members made proposals for time-limited responses and measures. The 9% VAT reduction was initially supposed to be a time-limited measure. The most recent reduction was applied from 1 November 2020 to 31 August 2023. The total estimated cost of the reduced hospitality and tourism VAT measure during that time was €1.2 billion. It was made clear at the time that the Government's intention was for no further extension. Can those who come to the House every week to agree to every Private Members' motion point out where we will get the additional €1.2 billion from? Groups come here every week who sign up to every issue as if money were no object. That is not a particularly business-focused way of doing it.

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