Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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274. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in a situation where a business in the hospitality trade is paying above the €30 thousand rates criteria to access the ICOB grants, if he will provide details of all other supports that would be available to this business considering the pressures on the sector at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19318/24]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is acutely aware that many businesses in all sectors are facing difficulties due to the cost-of-living crisis.

On March 5th 2024, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and the Department of Social Protection published an assessment of the combined impact of proposed measures to improve working conditions in Ireland. Reflecting the findings of this assessment, there are a range of measures being brought forward to assist businesses in adjusting to these increased costs as well as more generally to improve cost competitiveness of firms. These include:

• Making available up to €15 million to Local Enterprise Offices to enable a top up payment of up to €3,000 in the Energy Efficiency Grant for businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors bringing the grant up to €8,000;
• Preparation of an options paper on the application of the lower (8.8%) rate of Employer PRSI contribution, and the National Training Fund;
• A range of measures to reduce red tape and the administrative burden on business including an enhanced SME test, and;
• Accelerating the roll out of a fully functioning National Enterprise Hub.

Also, Microfinance Ireland provides vital support to microenterprises by filling the lending gap in the market by lending to business that cannot obtain loans from other commercial lenders.

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), play an extremely important role as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. They act as a ‘first stop shop’ locally providing expert advice and guidance, financial assistance, and offer a ‘signposting’ service for all government supports available to business owners throughout the country.

The LEOs provide a suite of productivity and competitiveness supports to small businesses in the areas of Lean, Green and Digital. These include the Trading Online Voucher, Green for Business, and the Energy Efficiency Grant. The ‘All in a Day’s Work’ national campaign emphasises the benefits of these supports for businesses; namely saving them time, energy and money.

The Climate Toolkit 4 Business allows SMEs get an estimate of their carbon footprint and a personalised plan to reduce it, highlighting the relevant help that is available from Government, through agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

In early February, my colleague Mr. Michael McGrath T.D. Minister for Finance announced that the interest rate applying to warehoused tax will be reduced to 0%. Revenue will provide businesses with every possible flexibility in managing the payment of their warehoused debt, including the level of down payment and extended payment duration, having regard to the circumstances of each individual business. I would encourage businesses to engage with Revenue at the earliest opportunity to discuss their individual circumstances and agree arrangements to address their liabilities.