130. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the assessment his Department has made of the impact of recent fuel price increases on small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in transport, construction and agri-related sectors; and if he will outline any targeted supports under consideration. [30164/26]

Sentiment score: 0.12

Has the Department prepared any assessment of the recent rise in fuel prices and the impact it is having on small and medium businesses in agri-related sectors and the construction and transport sectors?

Sentiment score: 0.23

I want to make something abundantly clear and it is very important that I get this point across. Let us take someone in the agri-sector who is contracting day in, day out. If their machine is costing them an extra €200 a day to keep on the road, that amounts to a grand a week, which is over €50,000 a year. No business can survive that. That is why this intervention is absolutely critical. School bus operators are signed into a contract. They need to be supported. We are already having issues getting school bus drivers and operators. We need to ensure they are supported and they can survive and continue. This country runs a serious risk of seeing massive construction inflation if we cannot manage the costs facing both self-builders and those building our national infrastructure and other projects across the country. It is vital that as much intervention as possible is put in place to help these SMEs survive. What further interventions does the Government plan to make?

Sentiment score: 0.13

I welcome the intervention and the sizeable package that has been put in place, but it is like any scheme or package that was rolled out over the past few years. It is about how quickly a business can get this into its bank account to provide cashflow and liquidity so it can continue in business and get through a difficult and turbulent time. It is critical that the supports that are put in place now are through a streamlined process that is easy to draw down. Where I come from in east Galway, my family runs an accountancy firm and many of our clients are agri-contractors, small businesses and construction companies, and I see the hoops they have to jump through in trying to draw down many business schemes. I remember the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS. That was extremely complicated and complex and it ended up being handed to the accountants to do. It is critical that people are able to utilise this scheme and get it as smoothly as possible.

Sentiment score: 0.15