Feargal Quinn (Independent)

The comments on corporation tax serve as a reminder that we have been able to apply the 12.5% rate without much question for many years. It has proven very successful and I agree entirely with Senator Cummins in his comments on the benefits we have experienced. When people run into debt, they also run into difficulties. A debtor finds that those to whom money is owed can begin to argue that because they provided help, they can talk about topics such as corporation tax. It is a reminder that there are costs associated with bailouts. We must be careful and not assume that these issues do not have a cost.

My attention has been drawn to a topic of which I was not previously aware. We are trying to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in small and medium-sized enterprises. Last month a ban was imposed on access to debt judgments, and this deprives small businesses of information they used to get. An Irish organisation called Irish Judgments Limited used to provide the details of debt judgments in the Circuit and District courts, giving the information to Stubbs Gazette and others in order that small businesses could decide whether to give credit to other businesses. Last month a stop was put to this in Ireland, although the process still occurs in England, Scotland and Wales.

I do not know the reason for this action but it seems the decision will deprive small businesses and enterprises of a very useful tool they had previously to assess the creditworthiness of other parties. I suggest that the Leader ask those responsible where the decision came from and whether it is possible to reverse it.