It is actually quite shocking that there are not already emergency plans in place that can respond more quickly and more effectively during periods of severe economic disruption. Businesses and workers need certainty. They need to know that when extraordinary circumstances arise, there is a clear and co-ordinated plan to support employment and cash flow. We need practical measures that can help businesses weather crises, including targeted energy supports and measures to ease excessive operating costs, such as spiralling fuel prices. However, any framework must be fair, transparent and focused on protecting workers, families and indigenous enterprise; not simply providing blanket supports without accountability or oversight. The Government should be more proactive and less reactive. Now is the time to do the planning and have the support mechanisms in place to contend with future shocks. We also need to recognise that long-term resilience cannot be built on temporary emergency measures alone. Businesses need affordable energy, functioning infrastructure, access to finance and certainty from Government all year round and not just during crises. The Government must move away from ad hoc crisis management and towards a more prepared and strategic approach that gives businesses and workers greater certainty during times of economic instability. I want to talk about the schemes that are being introduced. I cannot understand why the end users of those schemes are not consulted at the design stage of the schemes. I will give an example relating to the fuel support scheme for farmers and farm contractors. It is due to close today. The level of uptake has been extremely poor. The reason for this poor return in payment making is because it is not worthwhile. The scheme is calculated from the total usage from the year 2025, with only five months counted as rebate for 20 cent per litre. A farmer who purchased 2,000 litres of fuel is entitled to a rebate of just €166. A farmer would have to qualify for a rebate of at least €100 to be eligible to apply. This is equivalent to purchasing approximately 1,400 litres for 2025. These figures would not be reached by most small-to-medium size farmers, meaning they are excluded completely from the scheme. This happens over and over again. With the increased costs of fuel and fertiliser, etc., this approach to compensating farmers is not nearly enough to alleviate the pressure from rising prices. I cannot understand why in the design of these schemes the Government does not take up the suggestions that are made from Opposition. A much better approach would have been a scheme like the fodder payment scheme paid a few years ago, which was a universal payment. That would have been the common sense approach to this to make sure that farmers in Mayo, Donegal and the more rural constituencies can avail of the schemes that are there. There is no point in having them otherwise. For instance, there are 250 supports available under local enterprise and enterprise support schemes. When businesses go to look for them, as the Minister of State will know, time and time again the administrative burden and the cost of accessing these schemes is impossible. It is absolutely impossible for businesses. The Government needs to think and it needs to actually involve the end users of these schemes in the design so the Government's time, their time and our time is not being wasted. Just because the Opposition put up tangible, sensible ideas does not mean the egos of those in government should not allow them to avail of what is being given in terms of the design of schemes. Will they just cop-on in relation to all of these schemes and the planning that needs to be done?

Sentiment score: 0.09