FG only Party to publish SME plans

Commenting after ISME revealed that two thirds of Irish companies are under threat and may have to lay off staff, Fine Gael Innovation Spokeswoman Deirdre Clune said Fine Gael has produced a plan to sustain 80,000 jobs in Small & Medium Enterprises.

ISME’s survey is a damning indictment of Fianna Fáil’s past 12 years in Government. Two thirds of companies reported that they are under threat, with around the same number facing the prospect of laying off staff. Significantly, a large number of companies blamed the economic crisis on the Government.

Fine Gael is the only Party which has published proposals to help SMEs. Our plans for ‘A Fresh Start for Jobs in Small Business’ sets out proposals to sustain 80,000 jobs in the SME sector. This 18 point package included measures to:

Offer employers a PRSI exemption for new staff recruited over the next two years, or an alternative of a €6,000 wage subsidy per employee over the same period;
Reduce local authority rates, freeze Government charges;
Reduce energy costs;
End upward only rent reviews to ensure that businesses can benefit from market rates;
Abolish the €10 travel tax and reverse last year’s VAT hike;
Ensure prompt payments to businesses from Government and creditors;
Make it easier for Irish SMEs to win public tenders.

These SME proposals are complementary to our Rebuilding Ireland proposals to create 100,000 green energy and hi-tech jobs.

Ireland cannot tax its way out of recession, as Fianna Fáil wants to do, but can only trade its way out of recession. Exports and the SME sector will play a crucial role in that process, but equally important is a pro-enterprise Government. The last 12 years of Fianna Fáil Government have failed businesses and the economy. It’s time for a Fine Gael Government to lead the recovery.