Griffin: Small firms neglected

FORMER Wexford hurling star Liam Griffin has slammed the lack of response by the State to the plight of Ireland’s small businesses.

Mr Griffin, who managed the Wexford hurling team to AlI-Ireland success in 1996, is the managing director of Griffin Hotels, which he says is reeling from exorbitant insurance costs and a lack of leadership from the Government in the new economic environment. Over the past two years Mr Griffin says his public liability insurance costs have rocketed from €119,000 to €423,000.

In reality, the company could not afford to meet the new demands and as a result the hotel group has to bear the risk for the first €250,000 of any claim against it and that was the bottom line, said Mr Griffin.