Mary White (Fianna Fail)

Will the Deputy Leader request the presence of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Coughlan, to bring the House up to date on the national strategy for improving our competitiveness? Last week I said that our industrial electricity costs are the highest in Europe, at 34.4% above the EU average. I tried to decode where these costs arise other than in the price of oil and the inputs into creating electricity, but I am not satisfied with the answer I got. I may have to submit a freedom of information request concerning the reason our electricity costs are so high.

According to Mark Fielding of the Irish Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, in the past two months its helpline has had a 900% increase in calls from struggling businesses. Many of the calls are from companies inquiring how they can make people redundant or temporarily redundant, or how they can put workers on shorter weeks. These are three of the main issues affecting small and medium-sized companies at present — this does not include the matter of weak sterling, to which I drew attention before, which never gets on the radar. We do not ask the Government to get us out of the corner of weak sterling and strong euro, but we need help in areas in which the Government can interfere.

Senator Quinn has often spoken in the past about companies being run by accountants. I have heard him say that many times in 25 years. Companies run by big businesses or by accountants are now pushing out the boat on payment to smaller companies. The period has increased from 40 to 65 days, putting pressure on small and medium-sized companies in respect of cash flow. I want the Government to get energised on this by putting heat under the banks. The whole country knows there is a proposed bail-out for the banks, if that is required in the next few years. I want to see the Government coming forward with a proposal to put the heat on the banks——