As the Cathaoirleach knows, coming from a rural part of Ireland, the rural pub is not just a building where alcohol is sold. It is much more than that. It is a meeting place and a social outlet. It is the heartbeat of many rural towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. Many pubs are just about surviving and no more. Something like over 2,200 pubs have disappeared in the past 20 years. When we lose them, we lose something from our rural towns and villages that cannot be replaced. That is why in the budget I would like something substantial for small pubs in rural Ireland, in particular those that do not sell food. They have received no assistance whatsoever. I call on the Government to seriously examine what the vintners have put forward as a potential package and hope it would be implemented. When we lose our local pub in a rural village town, we lose something that we cannot get back. We are trying to protect rural Ireland as best as we possibly can.

I would like smuggling to be addressed in the budget. We need additional resources to tackle it. It is estimated that up to 40% of cigarettes circulating in the country are illegal, which is a serious issue.

It could be a loss to the Exchequer of something in the region of €650 million, which is a huge amount of money. Many of our small shops depend on these products to stay open. Coming from a Border county, which it brings its own challenges, I am particularly conscious of that. I would like to see more resources, particularly as regards smuggling. We need extra manpower in vital places to ensure that we can clamp down and eradicate the scourge on society.