Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Before I commence the debate, I welcome the guests of the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, who are visiting us from Broadford school in Kildare. They are all very welcome. I hope they are enjoying their visit to Leinster House. They brought the sunshine with them from Kildare. I presume between now and the end of the school year there will be no more homework for them. That is the rule in this House, so they should be sure to remind their teachers when they get back to Kildare. I hope they enjoy their visit.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I move:

That Seanad Éireann: - recognises the clarity in the Programme for Government that sets out the importance of SMEs to our economy;

- accepts that given the heightened level of international uncertainty, there is a need to focus on matters within our control which can make the domestic Irish economy more competitive and resilient to economic shocks;

- acknowledges the need to strive to reduce costs, administrative burdens and bureaucracy for businesses;

- endorses the focus at EU level of the new Commission on simplification and administrative burden reduction, including a reduction of administrative burdens by at least 25 percent, and at least 35 percent for SMEs;

- commends the acceleration of the timeline for the publication of a new whole of Government Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity which will cover, amongst other initiatives, reducing the cost and regulatory burden on business;

- supports the setting up of a Small Business Unit in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment;

- welcomes the establishment of a Cost of Business Advisory Forum and its first meeting on 11th June, 2025; and calls on the Government to: - address excessive administrative burdens on enterprises;

- examine how the various regulations, services, offerings and supports can be simplified for stakeholders and unnecessary administrative burdens removed;

- right-size the regulatory environment for SMEs;

- ensure that regulations, schemes, supports and processes are consistent, necessary, proportional, and effective;

- provide predictability and certainty for business with good quality regulation and policy;

- underscore with State Bodies the importance of strengthening Ireland’s competitiveness and reducing the regulatory and administrative burden on enterprise; and

- further embed Better Regulation principles.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Have we got a seconder for the motion?

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I second the motion.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Fianna Fáil believes Irish SMEs are fundamentally important to the Irish economy, currently and for future economic success. That is my view also. As Members will be aware, I have spoken often about how SMEs are the backbone of the Irish economy. Some 99.8% of businesses in Ireland are classified as SMEs and 68% of employees work for SMEs. Our SMEs are the lifeblood of cities, towns and villages across the country. Of course, foreign direct investment is essential also, particularly given our status as a small trading nation. However, we must ensure our SMEs are given the same focus with regard to policy and consideration so that our domestic sector can continue to go from strength to strength. From my own experience, I know how challenging the administrative burden can be for SMEs that are limited in their resources available to address this burden. It is something that can end up taking an extraordinary amount of time, particularly for new enterprises that have not encountered it before.

I wish to say "Bye" to the students and teachers from Broadford school in County Kildare. I hope they enjoy the rest of their stay in Leinster House.

As Members may be aware, Ireland is internationally well regarded in terms of regulatory burden. The 2025 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report from the European Commission ranked Ireland fourth in terms of ease of regulatory compliance in the EU. Nonetheless, we must ensure that we are continuing to reduce that burden to the most minimal amount possible while also offering enhanced resources to businesses that can help them to manage that burden, especially for new entrepreneurs for reasons previously referenced.

Our goal must be to create a business environment that values hard work and entrepreneurship and supports the development of an innovative indigenous business sector. The programme for Government is clear in setting out the importance of SMEs to our economy. Developing Ireland's enterprise base remains a key priority and we will strive to reduce costs, administrative burdens and bureaucracy for businesses. Ireland’s strong competitive position is reflected in our exceptionally strong economic performance in recent years. However, the international context is rapidly changing, and we recognise that many businesses, whether indigenous or FDI, are facing increased challenges. The forum was established with the aim of reducing the cost of running a business, and addressing delays which can impact the operation of businesses in Ireland. For the first time, regulators will be directly in the room to hear from business owners and representatives themselves. The forum brings together business owners, retailers, tourism operators, accounting professionals and representative groups, alongside regulators and State agencies, to look at the structural issues that are driving up costs and the steps that could be taken to negate them.

After last week’s initial meeting, each subsequent session will focus on a specific theme, such as licensing, infrastructure, or regulatory fees, with the relevant regulators invited to attend and respond. The goal is to create a space where businesses can speak directly to decision-makers about the real world impact of rules and charges and identify areas to make practical changes. That is a hugely positive and welcome development. I am sure other members have heard complaints similar to those I have heard from business owners in the past about policymakers not listening sufficiently to their concerns or being aware of the challenges they are facing, so bringing business owners and policymakers into a forum together has the potential to make a real and substantial difference.

Another positive measure this Government has taken was done last month with the establishment of a dedicated small and cross-government network. The forum was established with the aim of reducing costs and addressing delays which can impact the operation of businesses in Ireland. In recognition of these challenges facing Ireland, the current programme for Government committed to the publication of a new whole-of-government action plan for competitiveness and productivity by January 2026. The Government has, however, accelerated this timeline, with a draft of the plan to be considered by Ministers at a competitiveness summit next month. This plan will cover industrial policy, reducing costs and regulatory burdens on businesses, investing in infrastructure, digital regulation and reform, energy reform, international trade and research, and development and innovation. Over the coming weeks, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council will finalise and submit its Ireland's competitiveness challenge 2025 report to Government. Given the highlighted level of international uncertainty, the overarching objective of the action plan will be to focus on matters within our control by way of policy changes that can make the domestic Irish economy more competitive and resilient to economic shocks. The programme for Government and Fianna Fáil's manifesto pledged the establishment of a cost of business advisory forum and it is proposed the forum will focus on the regulatory burden as well as other costs highlighted by businesses. Its first meeting was held last week and that was welcome.

The inaugural meeting of the new Department of enterprise-led forum to examine the costs involved in running a business was on 11 June. A cross-government network has developed the enhanced SME test and will continue to work together on implementation, strengthening the language and using guidance and adding clarity as to when and where it should be applied as well as more detailed screening questions. Emphasising the need for consultation will ensure the SME test will become an even more useful tool for policymakers. The small business unit will also oversee the simplification of information and access to grants and supports for businesses though the national enterprise hub. It will also ensure the local enterprise offices are properly resourced to help small businesses.

Small businesses employ two thirds of our population and keep our local communities and economies vibrant and strong. Government must recognise this and ensure we are providing the support that SMEs need to run their businesses successfully and continue to provide vital employment and economic benefits across the country. The establishment of the small business unit comes in addition to the Government agreeing in April, as I previously referenced, to expedite the development of the action plan for competitiveness and productivity as well as adopting a series of short-term measures to address the competitiveness challenges facing Ireland. In addition to accelerating the action plan, the Government approved the following high-level short-term measures for implementation and enhancing international trade promotion. The small business unit is based in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The programme for Government sets out clearly how the needs of small businesses must have a dedicated focus and be recognised and acknowledged across Government. The small business unit will focus on rigorously implementing the SME test to ensure the perspectives of small businesses are considered across government before new legislation or regulation is introduced. The SME test is an impact assessment tool that has been designed to assist policymakers to consider the SME perspective when making any new policies, primary or secondary legislation or regulatory compliance requirements. The objective of the SME test is to ensure the ease of use, understanding and application of policy requirements on SMEs. The test identifies disproportionate impacts on SMEs and encourages policymakers to propose alternative policy options or mitigating measures to minimise the impact on small businesses and to ensure that the regulatory environment allows SMEs to operate, grow and scale up. In addition to rigorously applying the new SME test, the Government has also recently committed to consult with business to identify additional areas across Departments and agencies where the regulatory burden could be reduced.

In terms of what is happening at EU level, members will be aware that in February the European Commission adopted a new package of proposals to simplify EU rules, boost competitiveness and unlock additional investment capacity. This is a major step forward in creating a more favourable business environment to help EU companies grow, innovate and create quality jobs. The Commission has a clear target to deliver an unprecedented simplification effort by achieving at least 25% reduction in administrative burdens and at least 35% for SMEs until the end of this mandate. These proposals will reduce the complexity of EU requirements for all businesses, especially SMEs.

It is clear how essential SMEs are to our economy. It is also clear there is a lot of good work happening by Government in terms of enhancing supports available to SMEs and reducing the administrative burden they face. We must ensure the Government continues to focus on that work and that it brings results which provide SMEs with better resources and reduced bureaucracy as they build their businesses.

I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, the very best in her role. If she keeps on going the way she started off, she will be flying it.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Absolutely.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I move amendment No. 1:

After the last paragraph under "calls on the Government to:" to insert the following paragraph: “ - apply the SME test outlined in the Programme for Government to relevant legislation and give special consideration to the role of the Seanad in applying this test.”

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I second the amendment.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome today's Fianna Fáil motion. It is a very topical one. It is very important given the current climate we face in this country and the challenges we face in the international environment. As Senator Crowe said, Irish SMEs face many challenges. I am involved in SMEs myself. We should be supporting Irish industry and not just putting all of our focus on multinational companies, which seems to have been the case up to now.

It has already been mentioned that approximately two thirds - more than 60% - of all jobs in Ireland are within SMEs. That is a sizeable number of jobs. Over the past number of years I know that in my own businesses we faced many challenges. There was the likes of Brexit. I have a transport company and we had to create a whole new department to deal with customs whereas that had not been the case up to then. Then there was the Covid situation and the climate situation and all of this leads to huge administrative burdens on SMEs. We have spoken on many occasions in this House about tariffs and the threat and uncertainty they pose. That represents another significant burden on SMEs.

It is not just the increased cost of products but also the increased administrative burden on SMEs. It has been disappointing to see that many of Ireland's most successful companies were started abroad.I often think of Stripe, an amazing company started by the Collison brothers in Limerick. They felt they needed to go abroad to Silicon Valley in order to get start-up capital and they were certainly celebrated there. Now they have one of the biggest start-up companies over there and currently employ more than 8,500 people worldwide, 600 of whom are in Ireland. The situation has not got any better since that, and we have fewer supports for start-up businesses, despite reduced banking options after Ulster Bank exited the market.

How do we change this? We have a lot of ingredients. Recent figures were published about the number of graduates in Ireland. I think more than 52% of people have a basic degree, which is phenomenal. We have a highly educated workforce. We need to foster an entrepreneurial spirit within the workplace and our society and increase access to research and development funding. We also need incentives to help to staff businesses such as the ones I have mentioned with increased access to credit. I work regularly with the Naas LEO. There are fantastic initiatives there. The likes of those need to be celebrated and we need to support them.

I am proposing amendment No. 1, which has been seconded by Senator Keogan. I will also second another amendment by Senator O'Reilly. After the last paragraph in the motion, it calls on the Government to "apply the SME test outlined [and mentioned] in the Programme for Government to relevant [organisations] and give special consideration to the role of the Seanad [this House] in applying [that very] test." The amendment is based on what is in the programme for Government, which states that the Government will:

Rigorously implement the SME test to scrutinise every new piece of legislation and regulation for its impact on SMEs, ensuring that any obligations that increase business costs are phased in and that there is consideration of the broader implications of any decisions affecting businesses across government.

We know that this test, as has been mentioned, is designed to ensure the policies and regulations we are proposing are SME-friendly. It embodies the "think small" first principle. It really considers the SMEs from the very beginning of the policymaking process.

We should make Ireland the best country to do business in. I know we have done really well over the years with our corporate tax, etc., and we shine bright, but we could become the best small country to do business in for SMEs. It could create more Irish companies and more opportunity for our young people. The foundation should now be set for the next Collison brothers, who are possibly finishing school this summer somewhere in Ireland. They need to be given the correct supports to start the next Stripe in Ireland.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome the Minister of State. I support the motion by my Fianna Fáil colleagues on enterprise today. It is always hard to figure out what part of enterprise one wants to talk about, because there is so much in it. I am very passionate about enterprise.

I have always said that behind every small business is a dream. It begins with a dream or vision. A business plan is drafted. Perhaps a loan is taken out or money is invested by the founder. Soon that dream becomes a reality. In many cases, however, this is only for a short while. When reality sets in, the administrative burden kicks off and the next thing is that the founder is in a total sweat.

I remember speaking when I was on the SME task force a few years back. I said that we should apply almost the same thing to somebody who is starting a new business to somebody who is having a baby. When a woman has a baby, the public health nurse checks on her within a few days of giving birth. The mother goes to the public health nurse again for a checkup after a couple of weeks, and she will see her doctor for her six-week checkup. From then on, between vaccinations and public community clinic visits, the mother has many visits throughout the year. When starting a business, however, many small businesses feel alone and do not know where to turn to. I have often felt that when a small business sets itself up through the Companies Registration Office, if we could even just say "Well done and fair play for being brave and starting your business" to them, it would be something such as a little note or advice on where they could turn to if they needed something. I mentioned it before. I think it went down well, but it is something I would not mind seeing followed through. When my husband and I set up our business 18 years ago, I know that this was definitely how we felt, particularly as the recession had also just begun.

As I said, I welcome this motion by my Fianna Fáil colleagues. As spokesperson for enterprise in the Seanad for Fine Gael, I am delighted to speak here today. I will focus on some great positive strides we are making, while also reflecting on the things that hurt businesses. Ireland is currently experiencing its highest employment levels on record. The number of people employed reached approximately 2.8 million in quarter 1 of 2025, which marks a 3.3% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This is across all ages. The employment rate for individuals aged 15 to 64 reached 75% in quarter 3 of 2024, the highest number on record. The surge in employment reflects the resilience of the Irish economy.

Personally, I am from a family of small businesses. I think I drive everyone in this House mad talking about my whole background in small businesses, but I come from a very strong hard work ethic. All of my family are involved in small business. We have all set up our own little businesses, stemming from my parents. Sometimes a person need more than hard work, however. A person needs support from the Government; especially from Revenue but also from the local council and local enterprise offices. Our programme for Government states:

We will strive to reduce costs for business, cut through unnecessary bureaucracy, ensure access to finance [which can be very difficult; I know many businesses where it is too much to try to apply and source it elsewhere] and invest in vital infrastructure to help businesses succeed.

I will begin with the cost of doing business. Our minimum wage has increased by 28% since 2022. Not one person in this Chamber believes that workers should not be compensated for their hard work. There is no question about that, but we need to support the businesses to support the workers. I welcome that we are looking at restructuring PRSI. I would also welcome that we re-examine how rates are calculated. Commercial rates contribute to the funding of services such as street cleaning, road maintenance, parks, libraries and waste management, but rates are a huge liability on which small businesses can sometimes find difficult to catch up. In the short term, we have increased wages, brought in statutory sick pay, added an extra public holiday and are bringing in the auto-enrolment pension system. Businesses also have higher energy and business costs.

I met with the Restaurant Association of Ireland yesterday and could not believe that chocolate has increased in price in the last three years by 157%. Thank God I do not like a lot of chocolate. Electricity costs have increased by 96%. The association pointed out something when talking about the increase in the price of beef. We know that, but restaurants cannot apply a 100% increase on a fillet steak in a restaurant. Sometimes the costs of the products are going up, but we cannot pass those increases on. The price of fruit and vegetables has increased by 50%. Purchasing products needed to retail or serve is adding a huge increase in the cost of business.

I welcome that the programme of Government states we will set up a "Cost of Business Advisory Forum". This is really important. It would be welcome to hear how the Government is getting on with the establishment of this forum. I hope it has included relevant small business stakeholders. It is important that we examine how we ran the increased cost of business grant last time and learn from the positives, as well as the mistakes we made. I welcome the SME test, but as this test is performed after legislation, I urge that the considerations taken from the test are scrutinised before businesses are impacted.

I have gone on about insurance so much that I will not talk about it now, except to say how important it is. I really hope that we do not increase the personal injury guidelines and that we ask Insurance Ireland to commit to reducing premiums based on reforms.

We need to protect our local retailers. As I have said in this Chamber before, I cannot get my hair highlighted online and neither can the Minister of State. I cannot renew my glasses online. I cannot meet my friends for coffee online. I cannot visit a fabulous garden centre online. We need to protect the businesses in our small towns and ensure they are competitive to the bigger cities by ensuring we invest in them. We also need to make sure we keep our car parking spaces.

With all that being said, I welcome the establishment of the small business unit within the Department. I know its focus at the moment is on reducing red tape and regulatory requirements to SMEs. The national enterprise hub has more than 180 supports available. As a quick test, I clicked on a few links to see what supports were available for companies with fewer than ten employees. A good few were there, but to go back to the motion, we need to "ensure that regulations, schemes, supports and processes are consistent, necessary, proportional, and effective." Although we have lots of supports in that hub, we need to ensure they are relevant and effective supports for the average small business. In Meath a building was acquired in the Navan IDA park to house the Meath centre of business excellence. This is a very proactive step forward.

Competitiveness serves as a vital engine for economic growth. Our competitive edge has brought us this far. I am looking forward to the competitiveness and productivity strategy, which will be published in July. I would like us to examine increased rents and the pressures they put on businesses. To go back to my home town of Navan, a number of retail businesses are closing, especially in the shopping centre.

I welcome the programme for Government entries on small business and enterprise.I see by how well it is covered in our programme that we have a lot of work to do. I admire the ambition of the plan.

Businesses have had a lot to deal with in recent years and we need to ensure we continue to support them. Our business in Navan and its employees would not still be here without the Government's supports during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moving forward, I ask the Minister of State to remember that behind every small business is a family praying for success. I say "Hear, hear" to what my colleague said and "Well done" to the Minister of State on her role. What I appreciate is that she looks at each of us when we are speaking. Sometimes the Ministers and Ministers of State who come to the House do not. The Minister of State looks like she is interested in what we are saying. I hope she will bring it back to the Department.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Before I call Senator Conor Murphy, I welcome Deputy Ryan O'Meara from Tipperary and his guests. I am proud to welcome former Councillor John Sheehy and his son, Brendan, and Mr. Pat Dowling. They are visiting the Seanad from Ballina, County Tipperary. We are delighted they are here and hope they enjoy their visit. They have a great host in Deputy O'Meara. I acknowledge Mr. Sheehy's service as a former councillor because it is important. I know that he served his country and community for a long time and I express appreciation for that. I thank him for all the work he has done and hope he enjoys his visit to Leinster House.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome the motion and the amendment. It is timely that we begin to pursue the conversation about small and medium enterprises and microbusinesses, which, as others have said, make up the vast bulk of economic activity across the country and account for some 90% of employment across the State. We need to move quickly beyond the conversation to more affirmative action. There is, and has been for some time, a need to grow a productive, indigenous, industrial base of microbusinesses, SMEs and family business in high-quality, high-wage and high-productivity sectors. The economy has become unbalanced. That is even more stark with the recent economic shocks we have seen and the tariffs. Our high dependency on large multinationals is starting to expose a vulnerability in our economy that needs to be made up by a proactive approach to supporting and growing indigenous businesses, the small and medium enterprises, family businesses and microbusinesses, and ensuring they get to a place of productivity.

It has long been recognised that larger companies tend to be more productive because they can afford to invest in innovation and research and development. They can afford to develop the skills of the workforce, which is a bigger challenge for smaller businesses. It is difficult to manage a business and do that at the same time. We need a programme to ensure we can drive productivity in small and medium enterprises. That need was epitomised by the EU regional competitiveness index, which showed that Ireland ranks quite far down the list. There is much work to be done to improve the situation.

If we want to match our ambition for entrepreneurship, microbusinesses, SMEs and family businesses, we need the State economic agencies, namely, Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise offices, to be expanded in terms of their roles. We also need greater use of funding for Microfinance Ireland, MFI, and Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, funding schemes so that small businesses can access flexible credit.

As I said, the spirit of the motion is correct in giving support to that important sector. However, we need more definitive and affirmative actions. As I said, the geopolitical and economic issues we are facing reinforce the absolute urgency of building up this sector. We are vulnerable in that we have a high level of multinationals. We do not know what may roll out in respect of tariffs and further global economic uncertainty. The more we can build up the smaller industrial base in particular, the more stability, strength and depth there will be across the economy. It is good to speak about these issues but we want affirmative action.

We have overly bureaucratic and burdensome support schemes, as was referenced by other Senators. That is, time and again, shackling our SMEs and denying them the support that such schemes are intended to deliver.

We cannot talk about supporting small businesses without discussing key issues, such as infrastructure, housing, sky-high energy costs and the need to build North-South trade on the island rather than using what is an emerging crisis of economic instability to row back on commitments to pensions, the minimum wage and sick leave. We do not need a race to the bottom in terms of wages and working conditions. We need to control those issues and invest in our infrastructure and supports for small and medium enterprises. We must build up that level of productivity and have a whole-of-government approach to supporting small businesses and protecting our enterprise economy.

I wish the Minister of State well. The success she will have in these areas will mean success for a crucial part of our economy that there is a general sense we want to see grow and thrive. It is not just about supporting businesses. I come from a small business family myself and such businesses are critical right across the country. Their importance, however, relates to the stability of the longer term economic future of Ireland and our reliance on our own indigenous entrepreneurship, the need to support it and make sure it grows, and to ensure it becomes more productive in the time ahead. I wish the Minister of State well.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister of State is welcome to the House. I thank her for being here to respond to the Private Members' motion proposed by my colleague, Senator Crowe, and brought forward by the Fianna Fáil group. I congratulate the Minister of State on her appointment. It is long overdue and well deserved. She has hit the ground running and we are all confident that at the end of her term, she will be able to point to significant success and achievements in her Department. We are all behind her.

That said, our motion is serious for individuals such as Senator Nelson Murray and her family, Senator Crowe and his family and the members of RGDATA. I was nominated by RGDATA to contest the Seanad election. It represents over 3,000 indigenous independent Irish retailers. Those are people who get up in the morning thinking about the product and service they are going to provide, the people they are going to employ, the customers they are going to serve and ensuring that their business activity is viable. They go to bed at night thinking about exactly the same things. For them, it is a way of life. It is not a job or place of employment but their life. It is what they live, breathe and think about. It is important, therefore, that the Government places a high priority on supporting those individuals not just as constituents or citizens but as employers, business creators and service providers.

Over 99% of Irish businesses identify as SMEs. The sector is enormous and intrinsic to the economy and society of the country. It is incredibly important and that is why the Fianna Fáil group has raised it. We want to acknowledge the recognition that this Government has given in its earliest days to the importance of enterprise. We acknowledge the establishment of the various groups by the Government, including the cost of business advisory forum, the small business unit within the Minister of State's Department and the action plan on competition. The Minister for justice has also established the retail crime forum.

As my colleagues have said, the struggle that independent employers and enterprises have are very real and are threatening their viability. They are threatening their ability to continue to trade and to provide services, employment and products. Energy costs have been mentioned as an example of the real challenges. The supply side price increases are a challenge. Senator Nelson Murray clearly articulated that if you are in the food businesses and seeing double-digit percentage increases, it goes to the bottom line and viability of businesses. That is undermining service provision, employment and what is available in each community.Quality employment is critical for enterprise because workers are productive when they feel valued by the employer. They are productive when they feel engaged in a meaningful economic activity and when they get satisfaction from that work. They get satisfaction both in doing the work and in being rewarded for it. It is a fair and reasonable expectation to be properly and adequately rewarded for their contribution. That cost is a significant challenge.

As the Minister of State in this Department, I urge her to work with the officials in her Department and other Departments and across government in this regard. We should also work with other governments because we operate in an open global market. Our SMEs compete both locally in our towns, villages and cities and also increasingly on a European and global basis. Things like the US tariffs that are being threatened bring huge impact and worry. Small enterprises throughout the country, not just in the docklands or in the capital, will be impacted by these potential tariffs. Likewise, European regulations and decisions that are made at a great distance geographically have a direct impact on the viability of small businesses in each of our communities.

I wish the Minister of State well in her role and I urge her to use the powers of her office to effectively support our SMEs not just to survive but truly to thrive and be sustainable into the future.