Small business owners want action now says Carlow native MEP

Ireland South MEP and Carlow native Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has said, that small businesses that she has met throughout her Ireland South constituency, have told her that they are at breaking point because of a rise in both state inflicted regulations and a rising cost base.

The MEP called on her colleagues in Fianna Fail to heed their warnings and lead an ambitious and comprehensive plan as part of the new Programme for Government to roll back red tape for Irish SMEs and reduce their operating cost base.

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One large pub owner in Limerick told Ní Mhurchú that he is unfairly hit with excessive regulations regarding food safety,

“While public health is a priority, the sheer volume of paperwork, inspections, and frequently changing regulations can be overwhelming, especially for small, family-run pubs that have limited staff. Standardising food and hygiene regulations or simplifying reporting requirements could ease this burden without compromising safety”

A retailer in Carlow told Ní Mhurchú,

“A new licensing fee for retailers who sell Vapes and Tobacco products means that they must now pay a new €1,800 annual license fee to sell those products. Whilst retailers are not questioning the rationale behind a regulatory regime for selling tobacco related products, they do feel that an additional €1,800 annual licence fee is a kick in the teeth to small shops that are the heart of the community”

One small engineering firm in the South East of the country told Ní Mhurchú that it couldn’t find any general operatives locally and was looking to the Philippines to bring in operatives to keep the business going. That business owner described “lengthy waiting periods at each stage of the visa application process”, and “extremely slow processing times” by our government agencies.

Ní Mhurchú said it is time to wake up to the regulatory burden that has been allowed to develop for SMEs. She said it is impeding local businesses that provide vital jobs in rural Ireland. According to the CSO, 7 in every 10 workers in Ireland are employed in SMEs in Ireland.

She has called for an audit of the regulations that SMEs face and a comprehensive plan to reduce them and to bring down the operating costs of the sector.

According to Ní Mhurchú,

“Our approach of giving grants to ailing SMEs is not sustainable. They want to be able to make profits, not depend on state grants to survive. And not have their valuable time trying to run businesses swallowed up by dealing with red tape.”