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"Government must support SME's" - Ógra Aontú

Ógra Aontú have called on the government to provide better financial supports to SMEs. Spokesperson for the group, Dean Keating, a student of Politics and Irish Studies in NUI Galway, said:

"The government need to find ways to support local & small businesses. Small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the Irish economy. SMEs comprises 99.8% of businesses across Ireland, and employ more than 70% of the workforce in every single county in Ireland. Annually, they add 41.7% of gross value to our economy"

Dean continued: "SMEs have been acutely hurt by the Coronavirus lockdowns. Research has shown that many small businesses were financially fragile at the start of the pandemic. With the median SME only having 2 weeks’ worth of money to cover the expenses of running their business on hand at the start of the pandemic. Bureaucratic hassles and difficulties establishing eligibility have also made accessing government aid difficult for business without premises and those who work from home. As a result of this, we are already seeing mass closures and layoffs, with 60% of business that have closed during the pandemic expected to me closed for good"

"We in Ógra Aontú are calling on the government to find more ways to support Ireland’s small businesses to get through the lockdown, to keep our communities and economy alive post-pandemic. We are also urging our supporters to purchase gift vouchers for local businesses - instead of putting money in a card for someone's birthday, why not instead get them a voucher for a local restaurant or pub? This is a great way to inject a small bit of cash - flow into our struggling enterprises", concluded Dean.

#ÓgraAontú #VoicesForChange
By Aontú Press | 29 January, 2021



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The Irish political system is radically broken



In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.



Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.



Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.




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