Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy English, for joining us today. We must point out that we have a good news story here today. This is something that businesses and communities have been coming to us about for months and at last we have some good news. When we support small business we support communities in rural Ireland. The sector has 1.3 million jobs but behind the number of jobs there are communities and people. In supporting and investing in small businesses and communities we are also supporting the environment because the way we will change the environment is by shopping locally and staying locally.

Last week I spoke to a shop owner in Galway who is hugely successful and has one of the best known craft outlets in the city. She said she can hold on for another two months but that is about it. Not only does she support her own workers but she also supports all of the individual microenterprises that come to her to sell their goods through her. This will give real hope to craftspeople, artists and businesses in the west.

Will the Minister of State also take into the account the impact on the islands in particular? As he and all of us in the west know, the islands are going to be impacted for that little bit longer than other areas and we should take that on board when we are looking at where the funding goes. We have a unique opportunity, more so than ever before, to borrow money which can be invested in a green economy, a local economy and in communities.

I wish to make one final point to which reference was made earlier. I put on record the overwhelming support I have heard across the Chamber on a personal level for the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Deputy O'Gorman. It is important to put that overwhelming support on the record.When we invite people in here, we do it to debate in a professional manner on their brief, not on their personal experiences and lives outside of here. Let us invite the Minister in here but let us keep it cordial. Let us respect ourselves as professionals and public representatives and let us respect others who are watching today. We are in leadership positions. We should not let the bile from social media spill into this Chamber.