Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses here today. It is hugely important that they are both here to give us an opportunity to evaluate what is, and perhaps even more important, what is not working for the business sector both large and small. I am very aware that from ISME's point of view the restart grant is wholly unacceptable given that there is a whole tranche of people excluded from it. I refer in particular to those, for example, in the bed and breakfast sector, small bus operators, community centres and so much more. I would like to raise with both witnesses the sustaining enterprise fund and what is not working there. Large businesses qualifying for the sustainable enterprise fund can be offered funding of up to €800,000 yet, on analysis, it would appear that throughout the entire country there have been a mere 13 applications for this source of funding. Equally, there is a grant available to smaller businesses which offers between €25,000 and €50,000. Again nationally there have been just six applications. Something has gone seriously wrong here and I would like the witnesses' input on that.