Sense of 'entitlement' damaging small businesses

Nobody does ‘entitlement’ quite like we do in Ireland. From charities to farmers’ organisations, entitlement reaches almost everywhere.

It seems to be some sort of badge of honour to take as much as one can, regardless of who is paying.

People only seem to backtrack when the payments are made public.

Donating part of the excessive fee, as was suggested in the IFA row, to charity is surely not the way to go.

Here is a chief of a farming organisation which is about giving farmers a voice.

Now it faces condemnation and disdain for those who allowed the situation to get so bad.

The organisation needs to find some way of restoring a shattered reputation, not just for the organisation but for farmers too.

The image of farmers has always split opinion.

It’s a hard way of making a living that you have to love.

Earlier year Teagasc revealed that the average dairy farm income is €68, 877.

The cattle farmer earns considerably less, at just over €10,000.

Yet public perception can be starkly at odds with this reality.

The public hear of grants and payments and farm schemes.

They see the nice house in the countryside with the large Land Rover.

Some have begun to wonder whether the farming life is becoming slightly easier, over several years agriculture has seen some sort of upturn in fortunes.

But with the fresh furore, it will become increasingly difficult to get that message across to a public who could be excused for believing the organisation is just another money pot for the big boys.

Meanwhile, the county councils in Co Clare and Limerick decided to raise the rates for local businesses. Ennis in Clare will see its rate increase by almost 6%.

That increase becomes a 9% hike in Kilrush, in the southwest of the county.

Limerick turned down a 4% rate hike and opted instead for a 2% increase.

This came amid political wrangling and accusations that only local politics can deliver.

Businesses pay the price as ever.

With many businesses already in rates arrears, this may be the last straw for many firms.

Already there is talk of protests at the next council chambers meetings.

Who can blame them really?

For decades, businesses within counties and cities have been seen as cash cows.

Shortfalls in budgets are made up with the rates increases or by another charge to the business community. Councils don’t have to go out and earn their money.

They can’t function like a business because they don’t know how business functions.

They get their money no matter what they do, no matter how poorly they perform, no matter the cost to business.

They don’t compete for businesses or try to incentivise companies to set up in their county.

They run it with a sense of that they know best.

I’ve often wondered where the attitude comes from.

Where did we get the idea that it was fine to demand so much money from people and that it shouldn’t be questioned?

When we do question it, we’re given some vague excuse that you won’t get the right candidates unless you give that kind of money.

That the sketchy services that people are provided will be cut if you actually give businesses a break.

The problem is that all these organisations are there to make things better for the people who they represent.

Behind it all, it seems that they take the money.

Behind it all, we are still fostering a sense of entitlement.