There is a limit to the amount that any one sector of society should be expected to contribute. While we all understand that we are living in much tougher times when we all have to tighten our belts in the global economic downturn, perhaps the Minister would reconsider the decision to allocate little or no increase in the local government fund and ensure that local government is adequately funded so that struggling small and medium sized businesses, particularly in rural Ireland, will not have to bear the brunt of further rises in costs through increased commercial rates.