Mark Dearey (Green Party)

Picking up where the previous Senator left off on supporting small business, I call on the Leader to facilitate a debate on a subset of that theme, namely, sustaining employers. My experience over the summer has shown that many employers are paying themselves last and are among the first to take the hit in terms of pay within their small businesses. They are doing all they can to pay employees some type of decent wage but it is increasingly difficult for them. Senator Boyle spoke about the precipice we find ourselves on and many businesses find themselves in such a position. Employers are the bulwark upon which employees depend and if they find it is no longer possible to continue in business, they tend to bring down their employees with them. An intervention to stop that domino effect that is worth considering is something akin to the scheme for sustaining employment that is being targeted at 10,000 employees at present. If something similar could be done for employers, this would have a multiplier effect in that it would provide a certain safety net for them. The sector is very poorly served in terms of pension provisions and access to welfare when employers find themselves unemployed. Many of them fall between the cracks in the system. It needs to be reconfigured to address their needs. This is a plea, as a small employer, on behalf of a sector that is being overlooked and upon which many people on modest incomes depend. Small employers are the bulwark that people need to maintain their livelihoods.

I agree with Senator Cannon about rates. The situation has changed so dramatically that the Valuation Office needs to up its game significantly. Three out of 88 is a hopelessly slow rate of revaluation, and rates are an enormous burden, especially when rents are falling. The rateable valuation stands out in stark contrast as one of the key blockages to competitiveness within small towns and among small businesses. That is a major issue and a good deal of consensus exists on how it should be tackled. While I am asking the Leader specifically for a debate on sustaining employers, I would welcome it in the context of a wider debate such as that called for by Senator Cannon on supports for the small and medium-sized enterprise, SME, sector generally.