Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I remember being in Melo and meeting the young woman running it, and indeed her mother. As is often the case in family businesses, everyone was pitching in. I remember them talking honestly to us about the costs of small business. We have made a number of decisions recently as a Government, not all of which are popular, to try to recognise that when we come up with a good idea in here, it is not us who have to pay for it. It is often the small business, and we have to get that balance right. We are going to set up a cost-of-business advisory forum. This will look at all business taxes and costs and ensure that businesses are properly consulted before new legislation or policies that impact small businesses are introduced. On foot of what the Deputy has raised, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, to give consideration, as I know they are, to the membership of that, and to make sure we get that balance right.

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