Results 41-60 of 425 for speaker:Brian Brennan

Abolition of Carer's Allowance Means Test: Motion [Private Members] (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: The Deputy's time is up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: Good afternoon. I welcome everyone to our ninth public meeting. Some of our members are away on official business. Apologies have been received from Deputies James O'Connor, George Lawlor and Senator Mary Fitzpatrick. Before we proceed, I have a few housekeeping matters to go through. I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practices of the House as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: I thank Ms Finn. I now call on Mr. Neil McDonnell, CEO of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprise Association.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: We will now have questions and comments from our members. Slots of five minutes will include the answers. We hope to get to a second round. We will see how it is going. I call Senator Nelson Murray.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: Thank you Senator.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: I gave you a little extra time there because it was a very relevant answer. That is why I let it go over but I will move on to Deputy Conway-Walsh.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: I am sorry to interrupt. I let that go on because it was hugely important, especially as Ms O'Connell is on the coalface. That is why I let her go over time. She might get to contribute again. I give a warm welcome to Deputy Gibney.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: Before my political career, which only started a few months ago, I was in hospitality with over 600 people working for me. When I was reading the opening statements, it was a case of déjà vu - here we go again for both SME and enterprise. I will focus on enterprise first. I am keen to bring in Mr. O'Connor as well. It involves the bureaucracy be it in farming or enterprise, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: Undervalued by who?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: I would argue with that. Our national crisis is housing but the biggest thing relating to enterprise is jobs - good-quality jobs - and this has to come through the system. We will agree to differ on that. I want to be bring Mr. O'Connor in on that regarding the coalface. I also want to bring in Emeir to conclude her points on Wicklow and a specific case, as I interrupted her.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: There seem to be two issues here. One is how the smart regions fund is rolled out and the other is the operational costs of the centres. Are they being fully funded? There seems to be a gap between the Government and enterprise. How can we lessen that gap?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: On SMEs, how are small businesses surviving? It is one layer after another. Tariffs are another cost for business and have not been mentioned. How much are they affecting things? I would love to hear solutions the witnesses have. I know wage costs and energy costs are huge. What more can we in government do to help curtail these costs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: If it is important, I will give Deputy Conway-Walsh another minute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: The points the Deputy is making are very important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: If Senator McCarthy would like to come in in a couple of minutes, I will ask a couple of questions. It will give him a chance to get his bearings. Would he like to come in then?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: I knew there were concerns but I will leave today hugely concerned, especially about enterprise. There are two specific issues; funding is number one, and number two is what has been hammered home to us, that the current major scheme is not fit for purpose. If something was not fit for purpose in a business that we were all involved in, it would not be there, so why is the Government trying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: Very interesting. We will take it on board. That is what we are here to do - take it on board, pass it along the line and follow up on it. That is all we can do on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Competitiveness and the Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Brian Brennan: Before we wrap up, I will give three minutes to Ms Finn and Mr. McDonnell to give their final comments.