Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to echo the sentiments expressed by Senator McDowell. Quite frankly, I was taken aback yesterday by the comments that were made by Deputy McDonald. I think Michelle O'Neill showed great insight and understanding of the situation, but the minute Deputy McDonald was asked about it, it was all about Sinn Féin and about what a great opportunity this would be for Sinn Féin, rather than the people they seek to represent up there. It seems to me that when they are just about to reach a consensus, the old triumphalism has come to the fore. I think we have learned our lesson around that. I, as much as anybody, want to see a united Ireland, but it will have to be in a different format from that which was expressed by people in that organisation. It cannot be just about the winner taking it all. I have to say, when you juxtaposed the two leaders side by side, it did not work, quite frankly.Michelle O'Neill was clearly understanding and understands the issue.

My original intention today was to ask for a debate at the earliest opportunity on the crisis that exists for small to medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, particularly in the service sector. I have raised in the House on countless occasions the issue of small businesses that are impacted as a result of the loss of tourism beds because of the way in which we have had to manage migration. There are villages and towns that were tourist attractions and that are now housing migrants that have had to come to this country. I understand fully why that has happened, but it has had a very significant impact on small businesses in the area that would have depended on the tourists to operate their businesses and to provide an income for their families and for the people they employ. That is one sector that has not been dealt with and was not dealt with in the budget.

The other small businesses in towns and villages and in large cities are impacted because of the increased cost of business and there are no supports for them. We are seeing restaurants and small businesses closing. We are going to have to take a more comprehensive approach to the State's relationship with the private sector than just through the prism of IBEC and the large multinationals. I would welcome a debate in the House at the earliest opportunity on that particular issue.