Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is true. I contacted a local authority yesterday and asked how many applications had been received. The local authority confirmed that there had been more than 600 applications but it was unable to issue payment for the grants because it was still waiting on the Department to sanction them. As Deputy McGuinness mentioned, it is as if the Department here does not get the sense of urgency. Thousands of businesses opened last Monday and the restart grant was announced weeks ago. Surely to goodness, the Department would have ensured that when the applications opened that local authorities would have had funding in place given the pressures that businesses are under due to restarting costs such as the adequate provision of PPE, cleaning, etc. Is not having the funding in place an example of mismanagement or being out of touch with the real pressures experienced by businesses?