Danny Healy-Rae criticises minister over VAT and business costs
Danny Healy-Rae criticised the minister's failure to reduce VAT from 13.5% to 9% and warned it will push small businesses into closure and cost jobs. He condemned the minister's selective visit to Kilacharnay and urged a late-stage reconsideration of the VAT cut while also raising concerns about commercial rates, minimum wage impacts and the carers means test.
He said the minister came down to Kilacharnay last weekend, took pictures and was "very selective about where you went." Danny Healy-Rae said he was disappointed the minister did not meet local business people, who he described as disgruntled and out of sorts over the VAT decision.
He repeated a direct request that the minister reduce VAT from 13.5% to 9%, saying several requests from representatives had been ignored. He warned many small businesses - including craft shops, souvenir shops and hairdressers - face closure, that jobs are at risk, and that some traders may not survive beyond the new year.
He outlined multiple cost pressures on employers: higher commercial rates described as having been raised "by three or four times," rising costs of goods, increased employment costs, and additional holiday and sick-day regulations. He argued that minimum wage increases further raise employer wage bills and accused the minister of ignoring that impact.
He also raised the means test for carers as an unmet opportunity to support people providing unpaid care locally. He argued carers - often family members or neighbours - are unfairly denied because a partner or spouse has other income, and asked the minister to review the policy.
He warned that failing to support local employers will reduce tax receipts and increase social welfare spending, saying the minister will "realise their mistake" when welfare costs rise. He urged reconsideration of the VAT cut and policy changes to protect jobs and services in the county.
Visit to Kilacharnay and local reaction
He said the minister came down to Kilacharnay last weekend, took pictures and was "very selective about where you went." Danny Healy-Rae said he was disappointed the minister did not meet local business people, who he described as disgruntled and out of sorts over the VAT decision.
VAT appeal and business fallout
He repeated a direct request that the minister reduce VAT from 13.5% to 9%, saying several requests from representatives had been ignored. He warned many small businesses - including craft shops, souvenir shops and hairdressers - face closure, that jobs are at risk, and that some traders may not survive beyond the new year.
Rising costs and employer burdens
He outlined multiple cost pressures on employers: higher commercial rates described as having been raised "by three or four times," rising costs of goods, increased employment costs, and additional holiday and sick-day regulations. He argued that minimum wage increases further raise employer wage bills and accused the minister of ignoring that impact.
Carers means test concern
He also raised the means test for carers as an unmet opportunity to support people providing unpaid care locally. He argued carers - often family members or neighbours - are unfairly denied because a partner or spouse has other income, and asked the minister to review the policy.
Consequences and warning
He warned that failing to support local employers will reduce tax receipts and increase social welfare spending, saying the minister will "realise their mistake" when welfare costs rise. He urged reconsideration of the VAT cut and policy changes to protect jobs and services in the county.
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Transcript
Minister, we welcome that you came down to Kilacharnay last weekend and we took a few pictures, I believe, and you were very selective about where you went. I was very disappointed that you didn't go in and meet the business people of the town who, you know, are very disgruntled and out of sorts because of your failure to reduce the VAT from 13.5% down to 9%. And he had all kinds of money to do just that. And he'd rather be spending it here in bicycle sheds and huts and what have you, and the children's hospital that he have no control over the world, in the world where the money is going. No accounts whatsoever, our winter is going to be finished, and that's the thing. There's no accountability with the finances that he have, and where he spent them. And it is very unsettling and very unnerving for the people that are trying to provide jobs around our county. And the one ask that they had, and you've got several requests from several of us here on this side to reduce the VAT, and many failed to do that. Many jobs are going to be in jeopardy, many small businesses are going to close down. On top of the fact that the football has fallen, and on top of the fact that he raised the VAT by three and four of the rates, the commercial rates, by three or four times, there's so many things hitting these businesses at the present time. And the cost of goods, the cost of employment, and all the regulations now for holiday, extra holidays, and sick days, and everything. And employees are entitled to that. But even when he raised the minimum wage, it's the employer has to pay it. He didn't pay it. And when the minimum wage goes up, all the wages have to go up. You know that, Minister. But he even ignored that. And I can't understand. If he see after these people, and to see, if we lose the employers, you're going to lose the tax that they were providing, the jobs that they were providing. You'll have to pay social welfare to them people. Because there's a whole raft of people. Jarvis, they're all suffering. Craft shop, souvenir shops, hairdressers even. There's so many that I can't think of them all right now. But every one of them has been on to me, and on to other elected representatives. And because what, I can't understand their methodology at all, and refusing to do this. And there were several cases made for it. Why in the name of God, did he ignore these people? These are people that have been in business for years and years. There's never been more of them after falling away than this year. And they were waiting, trying to keep going till the end of the year. See, would he give them some extra perk? And he didn't. He buried them. And they can't face the time after Christmas. They'll probably stay on till Christmas, some of them. But a lot of them will be gone by the new year. And I don't know how we're going to answer that. He'll realise their mistake in a very short time, because he'll be paying out way more social welfare. These people are masters of what they were at. And they had the ingenuity and the way to provide jobs for people. And they were doing it. And gladly, they were proud to be employers. These are going to be wiped out, no, Minister, because of the combination of things that has been larded on top of them. And the one ask that they had, and there's a whole lot of them, just a selected few, all around Killarney and all the way, all around the Ringy Kerry. And they're everywhere, in every new can corner. They're suffering. I was indifferent. I don't want to name the towns, but I was in different, in so many different towns in Kerry that were once a thriving, thriving places. There are now some of them becoming very desolate. And I'm asking you to reconsider at this late stage to reducing the VAT from 13.5% to 9%. The other thing that I'll just say, Minister, because so many people are talking about it. The means test for carers. This was another chance to help people who are providing the service, and were rightly justified in thinking that they should get some credit for it. You know, these people will be minding the people anyway. But it's very unfair not to see after them, because in every house, one person is working. And just because that person is working, the person that's doing the caring for the elderly father, the elderly mother, or indeed the the invalid sister or brother, they're doing it free, gratis. And I honestly feel, you know, giving medical care to people who come in from other countries, that's fine. But we should be seeing after our own people that can't get them either. But likewise, we should be seeing after the carers. Often they're family members. Often they're not. They're only neighbours. And because they have other income, their partner or spouse or whatever, may have another income, they're denied, Minister. And I'm asking you to look at that as well. Thank you very much, Concord.