Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 10 Nov 2022

Vol. 1029 No. 2

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Special Educational Needs

Deputy Denis Naughten

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. I raise the issue of two girls, aged nine and 11, who urgently require access to assistive technology for the visually impaired so they can access a full education. As the Minister of State is aware from previous correspondence, despite extensive difficulties relating to their vision, both girls have a difficulty in accessing the assistive technology they require as a result of their visual impairment. These young girls have been denied the support they need because they cannot get a visiting teacher to sign off on the request for this equipment because it is being claimed by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, that these girls do not have access to a visiting teacher. When we pointed out that they previously had access to a visiting teacher, the response was that they only received that access informally. The claim is being made that the access to the visiting teacher was never officially provided.

The family was never informed that this was not officially provided, and the freedom of information file contradicts this position. They have engaged with a visiting teacher on an ongoing basis and a visiting teacher had access to medical reports etc., but now when they need a signature, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is claiming the support to date was unofficial and, as a result, the vital equipment cannot now be authorised. Despite a wealth of paperwork and reports being submitted clearly showing the support provided to both children by the visiting teacher, it has been claimed this was "informal support that was given in an informal fashion". Both of these children have received access from the visiting teacher for the visually impaired since they were toddlers.

The visiting teacher went to their home, carried out assessments, gave advice, wrote reports for the school and provided support in preschool. Yet they are still being asked to believe this access was informal. Even if we did accept that, which we do not, why should this in some way prevent them from accessing the support they clearly need? These children have been assessed by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI, as requiring specific technology for the visually impaired and cannot function in school without this specific support. The NCSE accepts these visually impaired children need assistive technology to function in school, but the family is being urged to accept assistive technology appropriate for children with dyslexia rather than that for children with a visual impairment.

How can anyone stand over a situation where the necessary technology which would vastly improve the day-to-day school life for these children is being refused? An application for assistive technology for the visually impaired was submitted 14 months ago for visual equipment, but that application has sat there since because of the failure to sign off by a visiting teacher. The Minister of State has told me in her replies that the family can still access the support of the visiting teacher but just did not get a signature. Instead, the State is prepared to spend public money to provide basic assistive technology equipment, which is not fit for purpose for these children, both of whom have been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. The State's failure to provide appropriate assistive technology now results in these children being unable to access the full curriculum, a basic right for every child in this country.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Deputy Josepha Madigan)

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter. I know it is an issue that has frustrated him for a significant amount of time and I believe he raised it on radio on Saturday. I know he has this particular family in mind when discussing the assistive technology scheme. I will talk about the assistive technology scheme in a little more detail. I am confident there will be a satisfactory resolution to this in the coming days.

I have spoken to both the NCSE and Department on the matter. I know they are in close contact with the family and with the school. The Deputy probably knows how this works in the sense that, if the school has the resources in the first instance to provide assistive technology, then it has a duty to do that, but if it does not, then it should approach the NCSE for bespoke equipment. As Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, I do not believe it makes sense that equipment will be given to a child with an additional need in circumstances where that equipment is not fit for purpose. The Deputy has said these two girls, aged nine and 11, are visually impaired. They have a rare genetic disorder. There is no point in them having equipment they cannot use. I completely concur with his point in this regard. I am liaising closely with the NCSE and the Department on it.

The assistive technology scheme is a very useful tool for children with additional needs. Last year, 3,766 children availed of the scheme and, to date this year, 3,293 have availed of it. We allocated an extra €2 million in the budget for 2023 for the very circumstance the Deputy outlined. There obviously is a process there. Apart from what the Deputy has said, I am not entirely clear why this has fallen through the cracks. There could be miscommunication between the various parties. In the first instance there needs to be diagnosis - the Deputy has said the NCSE accepts that diagnosis - of a physical or communicative disability, followed by a recommendation and a professional assessment. There is then a liaising with the special educational needs organiser, SENO, and the NCSE, who will review the criteria and then a recommendation is made to the Department as to the level of grant to be provided. The NCSE through the SENOs is responsible for processing the applications. It is very important to me, as Minister of State with responsibility for special education, that these children would be looked after. I know they have been working closely with the school and the NCSE on it in recent days.

Last April, the Department announced the digital strategy for schools to 2027 with €200 million committed over the period of the strategy. Some €50 million of that has already been provided to schools. This approach facilitates multi-annual planning by schools to allow them to plan effectively for all their children. The NCSE, the Department and the SENOs need to work very closely together with the visiting teacher service which the Deputy mentioned to provide equipment that is of value to these children with additional needs.

Deputy Denis Naughten

This is not a reflection on the Minister of State, but a reflection on her officials and the response she has given me. I gave notice two weeks ago. This issue was selected two weeks ago for response. It is a very specific case. I gave the correspondence reference in the Topical Issue notice I gave. I expected a detailed response on this particular case. The Minister of State is correct that yesterday the principal of the school and the mother were contacted, 14 months after the applications went in. It is not good enough. It should not require me to bring it to the floor of the House for that engagement to take place, with the issue having been selected two weeks ago. I take the point the Minister of State made and I will give her the benefit of the doubt on it. I want specific progress in getting this issue addressed.

The National Council for Special Education is saying there was no formal engagement with the visiting teacher. I want to put on the public record here that in February 2016, the then visiting teacher - I have a letter on Department-headed notepaper dated February 2016 in the name of the visiting teacher - produced a report for the 11-year-old girl just before she started in primary school with the diagnosis and everything. It specifically states in black and white that this young girl is eligible for the visiting teacher for visually impaired support. The second last sentence of the letter states, "I will be liaising with the school and home supporting this girl in my role as [visiting teacher for the visually impaired] VTVI who can also contact me as needed." That is not any informal engagement. These children deserve the equipment that has been recommended for them to receive and I want to see that happen.

Deputy Josepha Madigan

I can clearly hear the Deputy's passion in advocating on behalf of these children. I reiterate what I said earlier that I am very confident - I can only push it so far - that there will be a satisfactory resolution to this. I have personally spoken to the NCSE and the Department on this. I am encouraged and glad to hear there was a conversation yesterday with the principal and with the mother which indicates there is movement already on this. I do not doubt the Deputy's bona fides regarding the correspondence he outlined.

Having such an assistive technology scheme will be of no benefit if we are not providing equipment that is bespoke to a particular child. It needs to be particular to the child who has an additional need. Having said that, there are many types of equipment already in existence. There are audiological supports for hearing improvements, there is brain equipment and there is computer equipment with modified software for physical or severe communicative disabilities. There is a range of equipment.

We will need to update over the next number of years the type of assistive technology and that is under review also. There will be consultation around that from the first quarter of next year, because technology is moving at pace. Even the assistive technology that we have now will probably need to be updated in years to come in order to be able to assist children to communicate. I say this because this is a matter of communication at the end of the day, as well as of whatever additional needs a child may have. If that assistive technology equipment is going to assist them in communicating, then there is an onus on us to provide for that. The funding is there. There is an extra €2 million in the budget, as I have said. I want to reassure the Deputy that I will do everything that I can to make sure that there is a satisfactory conclusion to this issue for him. I thank him for his advocacy.

Road Projects

Deputy Michael Moynihan

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue of the junction at Ballymaquirke. I note that the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O’Brien, is taking this Topical Issue. He might know the area reasonably well because it is on the Mallow to Killarney road. This is a dangerous junction. It intersects Kanturk and Banteer, and on to Cork and Nad. The junction has been classified at Cork County Council level as one of the most dangerous junctions in Cork and indeed in Munster. A huge body of work has been done locally to try to get a solution. Councillor Bernard Moynihan organised the petition locally. Some 3,000 people signed the petition because of the urgent need for work to be done on the junction. As I understand it, a design has been approved. An Bord Pleanála has given its approval. It went in as one of the major projects directly to An Bord Pleanála and planning has been given. It is my understanding that Cork County Council has submitted an application to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to get funding for this work.

I cannot over-emphasise the importance of this junction to the people of Duhallow and north Cork in particular; to the people who are crossing that junction on a daily basis in their commute from the western and northern end of Duhallow, from Kanturk, Newmarket, Rockchapel and Cork; to those who are coming from western Duhallow from the Kerry bounds; and to those coming from Kerry who are crossing the junction and going on to Mallow, Banteer and onwards to Cork. Local people use that junction on a daily basis, whether they are going in or out of Kanturk or whatever they are doing, as are people from the farming community and elsewhere.

This junction has been the subject of many discussions at local authority level and indeed here in Leinster House. It is high time that we ensured that funding is made available for it. There are plans that have been approved and it has gone through the various steps in planning, land acquisition and all the other necessary statutory processes that have been earmarked. A huge body of work has been done by the senior officials in Cork County Council. They liaise with the Department at all stages, as well as with Transport Infrastructure Ireland on advancing this work. Transport Infrastructure Ireland gave funding in terms of submitting to An Bord Pleanála.

Here we are with a shovel-ready project. We cannot wait any longer to get this project done because it will save people’s lives. It will save people who are crossing the junction and who are putting their lives at peril on a daily basis. Whatever side one comes from into the junction, it has stood out as a dangerous junction. It has been heralded as that and it has been acknowledged as that.

I ask the Minister of State to outline the next steps. Does Transport Infrastructure Ireland have the necessary funding available so that work can go ahead at Ballymaquirke as soon as is humanly possible? We have all the building blocks in place.

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection (Deputy Joe O'Brien)

The Department of Transport has responsibility for overall policy on Exchequer funding regarding the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Act and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads will be a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP. In the new NDP, which was launched in October 2021, approximately €5.1 billion was earmarked for new national road projects to 2030. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country, as well as compact growth which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will be provided for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects that are already at construction stage and those that are close to it, as well as the development of a number of others.

Due to the fact that a great proportion of NDP funding for road projects will become available in the second half of the decade, there was a constraint on the funding available for new projects this year. However, most national roads projects in the NDP will continue to progress in 2022. In addition, a major priority in the NDP, in line with Department’s investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network. The NDP foresees an Exchequer allocation of approximately €2.9 billion for the protection and renewal of existing national roads over the ten-year period to 2030, allocated fairly and evenly across the decade.

The N72 is a national secondary road that runs east-west from its junction with the N25 near Dungarvan in Waterford to the N70 in Killorglin in Kerry. The N72 passes through a number of towns, including Lismore, Fermoy, Rathmore, Killarney and Killorglin. TII allocated €3,000 to Cork County Council for minor works at the Ballymaquirke Cross in 2022. Cork County Council has recently tendered the works contracted for the development of a new junction at this location. This may include the construction of a new roundabout and the realignment of a section of road.

The Department of Transport has been informed by TII that tenders have recently returned to the council which will now be assessed. It is hoped that this scheme will commence construction in 2023. Another NDP project on the N72 in this region is the Mallow relief road for which funding was allocated in 2022. This project, which is at planning and design stage, will improve connectivity in the north Cork area. It will also enhance the urban environment of the town of Mallow, reduce congestion and provide benefits to walkers, cyclists and vulnerable road users.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

Specifically on the topic of the N72 and on Ballymaquirke, the Minister of State is confirming that the tenders have been returned, have been approved and that a contractor has been approved for the construction of the roundabout and the realignment at Ballymaquirke. He said in his statement that it is hoped the construction will start in 2023. Have the Department or Transport Infrastructure Ireland responded to the Minister of State, giving an exact time for the construction?

If there is any message that I want taken away from today's discussion in Dáil Éireann, it is the urgency of this matter. It is a safety issue. It is of paramount importance that this junction is dealt with immediately. A huge pile of work has been done and I credit Councillor Bernard Moynihan for the amount of work that he did on it heretofore. It is now time for us at a national level to stand up and make sure that it goes to construction without delay. The Minister of State said the tenders were returned to Cork County Council. Can he confirm that a contractor has been appointed or is about to be appointed and that Transport Infrastructure Ireland has informed the Department that construction will be completed in 2023?

Deputy Joe O'Brien

Approximately €616 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided to TII for national roads in 2022. In line with the NDP and Government policy, TII is allocating national road funding for local authorities for 2022 in a manner which seeks to achieve the following key outcomes: the protection and renewal of the existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction; progress of major projects that are pre-construction but well advanced in the development pipeline; and prioritising remaining funds for major projects that provide for local bypasses and compact growth in Ireland's towns and villages.

Improvements such as the upgrade of the junction at Ballymaquirke Cross, while relatively minor, deliver significant safety benefits for all road users. The Department of Transport is happy to note the progress that has been made on that junction.

To answer the Deputy's specific question, I do not have information on whether a contractor has been finalised and approved. Nor do I have a detailed timeline of the plans for 2023 other than that it is expected to start that year. I acknowledge the Deputy's points about the urgency of doing something about the junction, given the serious safety concerns.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

Will the Minister of State take my points back to the Department and ask it to respond to me on whether it has a timeline?

Deputy Joe O'Brien

I will indeed.

Ukraine War

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

This relates to a matter that was raised recently, namely, the need to deploy Ukrainian refugees to various locations around the country. This case has to do with Kill in County Kildare. The people of Kill have set a high standard down the years in terms of being innovative, of welcoming new people to the area and of providing the maximum amount of backup and assistance. That is still the case.

Unfortunately, there were people in attendance at a public meeting who were not from the area and who had other intentions, so I will point out the concerns of the local people. They were a little concerned about how there appeared to be a secretive move to, as it were, dump people into the area without any consultation. While it is difficult to consult everyone to the appropriate extent, a little bit of trust and dialogue with the local community is of great importance.

I strongly support the accommodation of people from war zones, as well as our international obligation to do so. That must continue. We must always recognise the difficult situations that various refugees find themselves in and have the utmost compassion for them.

In this situation and if possible, giving an indication would be important. No contracts have been signed yet and I am sure that the Department is looking around for an appropriate place to bring people. Local people are concerned about local services and the need to upgrade them in areas where extra housing is required for whatever reason. They are also concerned for local people who have been on housing lists for a number of years, albeit obviously for different reasons, and the need to accommodate them insofar as is possible. If it is deemed the right thing to do in any particular location, not only in Kill, then accommodation in the area should be brought up to a standard that is sufficient for accommodating the intended people.

The people of Kill have always welcomed others and have been anxious to help with any situation that has arisen in the county. Lest there be any misunderstanding, their attitude is one of ensuring that the best possible service is provided. They are capable of enhancing that in a way that would improve the country's reputation and, in doing so, would allow the placement of people who are in difficult situations and have nowhere else to go.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Deputy Roderic O'Gorman)

I thank the Deputy for his question and points. As the House knows, my Department is providing accommodation for more than 62,000 people. Some 45,000 of those are displaced from Ukraine and almost 17,000 are international protection applicants. This compares with around 7,500 last year. To put it in context, this is equivalent to 1.3% of the State's population. Our pre-Covid annual total population growth rate was 1%. The figure of 62,000 is larger than the population of Waterford city and is approaching the size of Galway city. It is by far the largest humanitarian effort that the State has ever undertaken.

This creates a challenge for the State, but it also creates a duty on the Government and the entire political system to ensure that we can continue to support those who are seeking refuge in Ireland from a vicious war and other vicious conflicts. My Department has a Ukraine crisis temporary accommodation team, which works with the International Protection Accommodation Service on procuring accommodation. Alongside this, we have to find beds for those who are in accommodation where contracts have ended and ensure that no one stays in temporary rest centres for too long. This means that officials in my Department are potentially accommodating and moving several hundred people, many of whom are vulnerable, on a daily basis. It is a major logistical challenge and a cross-Government effort. My Department, the Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Social Protection, Education, Health and Justice, and the Office of Public Works, OPW, are working together, with the amazing support of local authorities and community groups around the country. The Deputy is undoubtedly aware of the amazing work that is being done by groups across County Kildare.

There has been a great welcome in County Kildare. Approximately 2% of the total number of international protection applicants in the country, or 450 individuals, reside in Kildare and approximately 2%, or just over 1,000, of the total number of Ukrainians in the country reside there.

In terms of movement and notice, when we procure new accommodation for international protection applicants or Ukrainians, we also endeavour to provide briefings to Deputies, Senators and the relevant local authorities at official and councillor levels. In the case of Kill, there is no contract yet. It is for this reason that we have not provided any information - there is no contract to speak to. A number of issues and concerns have been raised. In our contract negotiations, those will form part of our decision on whether a contract is entered into. I am aware of issues around sewage capacity and flooding.

Deputy Durkan spoke to the wider pressures in Irish society, particularly the pressures on our housing lists. That situation is acute in County Kildare and west Dublin. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is rolling out Housing for All. I joined him and the Taoiseach last week at the great launch of a significant new social housing development in my constituency. It is positive to see that coming online. The Taoiseach and the Minister are considering new and innovative methods, for example, modular or rapid builds, however one wants to describe them, to form part of the Housing for All solution.

Regardless of what might happen in Kill and what is happening elsewhere, the accommodation solutions in this situation are temporary and should not be confused with the permanent accommodation solutions that we are looking to put in place for all members of the population who have a housing need, in particular those who have been on the social housing list for long periods. I am working on the temporary accommodation element and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is working on the permanent social housing element.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

I thank the Minister for his detailed reply and for his knowledge of the situation in the area. The provision of information and extra facilities, as required, is welcomed by those who may be temporarily or permanently housed there. It is important that the quality of whatever accommodation is made available is of a standard that is in keeping with their requirements and is of a sufficiently high standard to ensure that the situation does not become an embarrassment to the area or to the people living in that accommodation temporarily or permanently.

It is also important that people be able to express to the Ukrainian population Ireland's willingness to do its job and accept its responsibilities in terms of international protection by responding to the demands arising from an illegal and irresponsible war that is causing havoc for the people of Ukraine and Europe more widely.

I fully accept the Minister's bona fides on the provision of quality facilities that are in accord with the standards we expect today. If they are to be used on a temporary basis they could also be used elsewhere on a temporary basis. The important point is that dialogue needs to continue with the local community, which will respond and take on board what is required, and be responsible and encourage people to live in and contribute to the area. At this stage, it is important to ensure that the area does not reject people because of their origin, or does not in any way show any antipathy or animosity towards people who are under really serious pressure at this time.

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman

I thank Deputy Durkan. I take the Deputy's point on the importance of standards. We will always look to provide good standards of accommodation. We must realise, however, that temporary accommodation is temporary in nature and the standards will be different from permanent accommodation. We must also remember that people arriving here from Ukraine are fleeing sub-zero temperatures coming to them in winter, are fleeing daily energy blackouts, and are fleeing drones and missile attacks to their areas. I am aware that Ukraine may not be on the top headlines of the news every day now but there remains a brutal war going on there. This is why Ukrainians are coming here. They are not coming here with the desire to be located in Kill or in Blanchardstown. They are coming here because they are fleeing a brutal war. We must always keep this in mind.

We do continue to provide that welcome. I work very closely with the Ukrainian Embassy. The Deputy will be aware that in recent weeks we have had to be very honest with our Ukrainian friends about the pressure on accommodation right now and the immediate availability of accommodation that was here in the earlier stages will not be here in the future. There will have to be a more managed arrival on the accommodation side. We have flagged this with the Ukrainian Embassy and we have worked closely with them to ensure that we can continue to accommodate people who arrive here. We will also be able to accommodate those who are here at the moment and who may have to move if hotels decide later on this year or early next year to revert to traditional tourist business. It is a complicated balance and we need to do it working with communities. In the context of Kill we will continue to engage in negotiations with the provider there. We will address the concerns that have been raised. If a contract is agreed, information about that will be provided to elected representatives, to local representatives, to councils and to community groups.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

I thank the Minister. The local authority is also on hand to help.

Business Supports

Deputy Martin Browne

I wish to address the concerns that have been expressed to me, as they have no doubt been expressed to the Minister and to other Members of this House, about the number of businesses that unfortunately have had to close some of their branches. I am referring to butchers specifically. Some of them have had to close branches or have had to shut their doors altogether. One such butcher in Thurles is a member of the Irish Butchers' Guild. He told me that he has been forced to close one of his branches and let go six staff. The Minister of State can imagine the impact this has on a local economy. In his letter the business owner told me that the increase in the electricity charges is unsustainable and he points out that many butcher shops have closed already this year. Unfortunately, this owner has had to close one shop and this has a major impact. He has another shop in Clonmel. All over the country such shops are in massive trouble. This type of retailer needs the highest quality of refrigeration to comply with the standards of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act and with hygiene regulations. This cannot be overstated. In anticipation of what has come to pass, they made great progress in becoming more energy efficient, including using the latest solar panels, water heaters, insulation, LED lighting and so on. In the past 18 months this owner had invested €150,000 in the shop that is now closed. Now those six jobs are gone, along with the money he had ploughed into his shop. He has another shop in Clonmel, which employs another six people, but something needs to be done and done fast so that this shop does not close, and other shops like it around.

Among other things, my purpose as a Deputy is, like all Members here, to be a messenger and to bring the concerns of the public to the likes of the Minister and Ministers of State who sit here, and this is what I am doing today. The business owner has pointed out that small and medium-sized enterprises have been singled out by the Ministers' Departments and others as being the backbone of the Irish economy. They were asked to stay open during the Covid period. Now, however, with the big threat of Covid gone, they just seem to have been forgotten about again. Only 12 months ago they were considered essential. It must be galling for such business owners that they are spending that kind of money to try to stay open and they see the small schemes the Government is bringing out, and yet most of the electricity companies are making massive profits of hundreds of millions of euro in a six to nine-month period while the SMEs are being forced to close their places. The business owner told me that he sees the temporary business energy support scheme as somewhat helpful but not nearly enough to offset the overhead that he has laid out. He has described the outlays coming down the line as being astronomical.

That scheme was too little too late for the branch of the business this butcher had to close. We need to have action to ensure the future viability of his other branch, and many other businesses such as locally-owned supermarkets and others who have also contacted me. The ability of the scheme to provide for businesses such as his is limited given its timeframe. That scheme deals with the winter months but more energy is used by businesses like his in the summer months. This is what such businesses tell us. We need to see measures introduced that are tailored to the specific needs of businesses and which are effective enough to give them certainty.

I welcome the Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill but it must be noted that due to Covid and the emergence last year of rising inflation, many businesses took on debt. There are businesses for whom this scheme will be of very limited benefit. That needs to be looked at. We must look further and we must see immediate action.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Bernard J. Durkan)

I invite the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, to respond.

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Deputy Dara Calleary)

Buíochas leis an Teachta Browne as an ábhar seo a ardú. I thank Deputy Browne for raising this issue. I absolutely understand, and am aware of, the concerns the Deputy has expressed on behalf of his constituent in Tipperary. Businesses all over the island are worried about energy costs heading into the winter. As the Deputy has said, businesses need help with their energy bills. The Government has introduced a significant package to assist them. As the Deputy is aware, the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, is being designed to support eligible businesses that have experienced a significant increase in their electricity or natural gas costs. The TBESS provides up to €30,000 per month for a company with multiple branches, similar to that described by the Deputy. The scheme is currently being discussed as part of the Finance Bill and should, hopefully, be implemented as soon as the Finance Bill is passed in the House. We will then be in a position to begin supporting businesses directly.

In addition to TBESS, I would also direct the Deputy to the Revenue Commissioners' website, which has a very detailed questions and answers document about how TBESS will work. There is also the new €200 million Ukraine enterprise crisis scheme for manufacturing and internationally traded firms. In addition, a new €1.2 billion State-backed Ukraine credit guarantee scheme, which the Deputy spoke on yesterday, will assist the wider business sector with liquidity and to invest in energy efficiency.

Small and medium-sized businesses can currently receive an energy audit voucher from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, to get professional advice on how to increase efficiency and reduce their energy costs. Other financial assistance includes the SEAI community grant and grants for microgeneration. All businesses such as those described by the Deputy can contact the local enterprise office for support and guidance on how to get through the current challenges.

Deputy Martin Browne

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I spoke about businesses that have taken out major loans, like the one that invested €150,000, in the past 18 months or so. They took them out to deal with the consequences the pandemic had on their trade. The future is uncertain for many of those businesses because they will not be able to deal with that kind of debt.

More can be done. Measures can be taken to offset the cost in other ways for these businesses. I refer here to tackling insurance costs. The Personal Injuries Assessment Board has confirmed a large drop in personal injury awards. It is vital that the Government press insurance companies to reflect this in premiums for businesses and that it demand it, because businesses have little or no room for manoeuvre.

The Government must ensure the terms and conditions of the credit guarantee scheme are favourable for businesses that are struggling. It is imperative that a watchful eye is kept on the scheme in order to ensure that the businesses availing of it are not just those with more resources to enable them to access it. This funding needs to reach those who need it, like small businesses that employ six to ten people. I hope the Minister of State will take the concerns expressed by me and by business owners on board because every Member of this House has been contacted by small businesses like these butchers on that. I hope he does not discount what they say. This is what they experience daily.

Deputy Dara Calleary

I am not discounting what the Deputy says. That is why we have put in place €1.2 billion in funding under TBESS. It is explained very well on the Revenue Commissioners' website. There is also SCARP, which will give small companies time to restructure the kind of finances and loans the Deputy spoke about. The Government put in place extraordinary supports for businesses, particularly small businesses, during the Covid pandemic and will not walk away from businesses amidst the current challenges. As soon as we get the Finance Bill passed, we will be in a position to begin administering TBESS to companies like those described by the Deputy.

I have accepted a meeting request with the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland sent to me by Senator Fitzpatrick. I will be hearing from them all over the country, similar to those in Tipperary. I assure the Deputy that the Government has put supports in place, is committed to our small business and small food sector and that commitment is real.