Results 1-12 of 12 for at segment:8934438

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

James O'Connor: I was waiting but the Ceann Comhairle took my joke. I join Deputy Flaherty in welcoming his guests. The issue we are discussing is of huge relevance at the moment. In my constituency of Cork East, whether in the local villages, towns or out in the countryside, time and again I meet small employers. I am not talking about the companies with between 50 and 100 employees. I am talking about...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Joe Flaherty: ...productively spent. I think this is my first time to address the Minister in his new capacity. I commend him. I know he is a number of weeks into the role. I welcome the work he has done to date, especially in the increased cost of business supports. It is no secret that small businesses in rural Ireland, particularly those in retail and hospitality, are struggling. We have seen a...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Chris Andrews: I thank the Minister of State. The cost of doing business is challenging for everybody. No even the Government would deny that. Is is challenging, particularly for smaller businesses. I have raised an issue before in this House about schemes right across the country. Different local authorities have different schemes for street furniture licensing. The Minister for housing has waived...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Catherine Murphy: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. One of the things business people will tell you is about the high input costs, including, for example, energy. We have some of the highest energy costs in Europe. It depends on the particular business but they will tell you about insurance costs. They will all talk about them but some businesses are particularly impacted by it. The...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Neale Richmond: I am delighted to be given the opportunity to say a few words here this afternoon and to point out some of the excellent work that has been done by a slew of Ministers and officials across a number of Departments, led by the Minister, Deputy Burke, and following on, despite some revisionism, which we are used to, from certain parties across the Chamber, from a package announced a couple...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: It was never off it. The Minister of State is just not very good at finding it.

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Neale Richmond: Sinn Féin's entire enterprise budget last year was €30.3 million. Within that, Sinn Féin says that there should be the creation of an Irish jobs agency. We have Enterprise Ireland. When we have a 15-minute intervention from the Sinn Féin spokespeople, and we will have more slating of this package, they really need to start looking at themselves and the sheer lack of...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Neale Richmond: ...also increased local property tax; Deputy Nash can ask the local councillors - even though the council has taken in more money and is spending more than ever, but yet it will not reduce commercial rates or local property tax. That is something Deputy Nash can reflect on. I am more than happy to engage with the local Labour Party candidate when she calls to my door looking for my...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Gerald Nash: The Irish economy is in rude health, which is something we can all be very proud of. Anybody who is proud of this country will be proud of our economic performance and the fact that 2.7 million people are now in work. This is a record. There were 90,000 new net jobs in quarter 3 of 2023. That trend has continued into 2024. VAT receipts are up 6.3% so far this year. There are at least...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: We will probably have a fair amount of agreement, at least on this side of the House, on the issues out there at the minute, among them the cost-of-living crisis that workers and everybody else are going through. I have no doubt that, as people are hitting the doors, they are getting it in the neck, for want of a better term, on the pressure businesses are under also. There is a...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I welcome the opportunity to speak on these statements. Businesses are struggling with a cost of doing business crisis, workers are struggling with a cost of living crisis and both need to be supported. Unfortunately, instead of helping both, the Government has put forward a support package which pits business against business and business against workers. It has been clear for some time...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: ...and medium-sized businesses. SMEs are the backbone of our rural and regional communities and are central to Ireland's ability to build a broad-based and successful economy. Of a total of approximately 350,000 small- and medium-sized companies in Ireland, 325,000 employ fewer than ten people. SMEs have faced a number of economic shocks in recent years, which have resulted in cost...