I thank Sinn Féin for giving us the opportunity to talk about a very important subject. I recognise the great work employees do in carrying out their duties in so many businesses that I know. When we talk about employees, we have to talk about employers as well because they are in it together. If an employer cannot carry on, he or she will not have the employees. I know this from working in the private sector for many years. My son is carrying on the business now. We have workers who have stayed with us for almost 40 years. We depend on them. If we do not treat them right and if they are not paid right or looked after, they will not stay with us. It is the same across the board. I recognise that many employees feel like maybe they cannot make ends meet. The cost of everything has gone up. What is happening in relation to the situation with oil is still hurting people. Little was done for workers by way of helping with their tax in this year's budget. That needs to be dealt with, sooner rather than later. It is so hard now to get trained workers like good machine operators, lorry drivers, bus drivers or whatever. There are so many rules and regulations. We read in last weekend's newspapers that Ireland has the fewest entrepreneurs in Europe. We need to look at that and see how it can be changed. People are saying that this is caused by the fact that it takes so long to get planning and deal with the regulation and everything that goes with it, insurance, and so on. It takes too long to get things off the ground. That places a burden upon employers' shoulders. As we are talking here tonight, we are saying that workers must be looked after. They are the kernel of the issue. They have to be looked after and paid properly. An employer will not have workers if he or she does not look after them properly. The Government has to do something about the tax situation because the cost of living has gone up in every sphere. The regulations will have to be looked at. When seeking to get connected to services, including those relating to water and electricity, people can be told that it could be any number of months. There is an exorbitant cost for those connections. It is taking so long for would-be employers to get going. All those things need to be addressed, as do the cost of public liability insurance and the weight that is placed upon employers' shoulders. If employers cannot operate, they cannot hire employees or look after them properly. We have to look after people properly because if we do not, we will not have them. Good workers are very scarce. I need to mention the oil crisis. Home helps and carers-----

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-----are telling me that they cannot continue. It can go in one ear and out the other, but I ask the Minister of State to listen because we will not have these people. It is elderly individuals who want to stay in their homes for as long as possible who will suffer. They will finish up in hospitals and nursing homes-----

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-----where it will cost a lot more to mind them. I ask the Minister of State to deal with that as a matter of urgency. There was no package given in respect of the increase in the cost of the green diesel used in machinery that is involved in construction, and that will not carry on either. The number of houses that will be built will be reduced because when the price goes up from 98 cent to €1.78, people cannot afford it. They will not be able to keep going. I ask the Minister of State to deal with the last couple of things I said as a matter of urgency.

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