Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to take up the point raised by Senator Mullins about small businesses. One of the saddest sights in years gone by was to see little households in rural Ireland padlocked, the roofs falling in, the buildings becoming derelict and the occupants scattered to the four corners of the Earth. They remain a reminder of how vulnerable we are as a nation and perhaps the lack of foresight we had at that time. This story is being replicated today in towns and villages in modern Ireland. If one walks down any street today, one will see all the small businesses that are closed. These businesses were run by honest, decent people who worked long hours for small profit or none to keep three, four or five people in employment. It was very often the straw that broke the camel's back that closed those businesses. Bureaucracy tried to squeeze the last euro out of them. This is very short-sighted because, again, the people who worked in those businesses have had to emigrate. We talk here about generating jobs. In a recession, the big grandiose schemes do not always deliver the numbers. Small businesses, where one finds dedication, experience and customer loyalty, are the bedrock on which one would build. It would be in all our interests if instead of trying to find ways of making it difficult for those people to exist, the relevant Departments found ways of helping them. If a number of people are already working there, there is the possibility of adding one, two or three jobs more.

Perhaps some day the Leader might provide time to discuss that point because as we walk through these towns and villages, the businesses which are closed are a reminder that there was a lack of foresight.