Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I support my colleague, Senator Healy Eames, in her call for the Leader to ask the Minister for Finance to ensure that the banks begin to free up credit for business. The company in Galway to which she referred is capable of creating eight jobs in the short term - certainly a significant number in a small community - and the banks are not playing ball. Given the amount of money that has been pumped into the banks, we need to put pressure on them to ensure that they start to free up finance for small businesses.

Speaking of small businesses, there is an issue that I would ask the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister for Finance. I have concerns that the Revenue Commissioners are being a little heavy-handed with small businesses which are a little slow, because of the downturn in the economy, in meeting their obligations. I want to ensure that every small business is given every opportunity to stay afloat. We cannot afford to lose any more small businesses in this country and I want to ensure that the Minister for Finance is aware of this fact.