Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

I thank the Minister of State for coming here today. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic. I want to speak on my amendment No. 2, which has been seconded by Senators Keogan and McCarthy. With looming threats of tariffs to our economy, we need economic resilience. Now would be an opportune time for the Government to invest more in local and indigenous businesses. We need to address some of the blockages that are preventing indigenous businesses from starting up or expanding. SMEs are faced with layers of red tape, bureaucracy, prohibitive costs and delays in water, ESB and sewerage services to economic development land. We need to simplify and reduce these blockages and, if possible, remove them completely. A good way of doing this would be to create a funding stream that local authorities could apply for, to develop suitable lands that could give local businesses the space they need to develop and grow. We should be empowering local authorities through funding schemes to provide fully serviced, ready-to-go sites and to develop enterprise lands for local businesses. We need to collectively look at a way to help businesses, especially SMEs, to find a way through some of these blockages.

That is why I am speaking on this motion today.Our amendment to the motion has not been mentioned. The Minister of State is from a small business family. I am from a small business family, as are most of the speakers here today. It is important we try to take out the blocks that are stopping businesses developing and growing.