I have major concerns about small family businesses right across Mayo and the west. They are in massive difficulty. During the recent protests, I spoke to a number of people, not from the haulage, construction and farming sectors but from small family-run businesses that were really struggling. They are struggling with the cost of business. They are struggling with rates. They are struggling with insurance and with increases in terms of labour force and auto-enrolment. All of these things are really crippling businesses. If we lose businesses from the centre of a town, it will be extremely difficult to replace them. When one building becomes vacant and the next one becomes vacant, there is almost a contagion effect. Therefore, I urge the Minister to support small family-run businesses during this difficult time of energy cost increases because, if we do not, we will need more grants down the line for refurbishments of derelict commercial buildings. We need to keep the businesses in operation and protect them. The Minister's remit - rural development - is not exactly enterprise, but it is important that we protect businesses in regional towns. I attended the fisheries committee discussion of seaweed today and it is clear that any consideration of seaweed applications should be halted because native seaweed harvesters will potentially be trampled on. MARA and the wider State effectively do not know what is happening and do not have certainty about the rights in local areas in Mayo, Galway, Kerry and Donegal. This is a major issue for rural and coastal communities in Mayo. I am therefore asking for the Minister's intervention to make sure, in the midst of this wave of applications from large commercial seaweed harvesters, that we protect the native seaweed harvesters. The changes coming down the line for these harvesters and this industry will suit and favour the big players. From 2028, there will be an obligation on native seaweed harvesters to register and that will come with a fee of €2,000 and a litany of additional reports that will cost significant money.

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My fear is that we will push these people off the radar and pave the way for large seaweed harvesters.

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I ask the Minister to intervene.

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