Mr. Declan Hughes:

What I was referring to regarding the refinancing is that businesses with current loan facilities and borrowing can refinance those with this scheme. It would be too early to say what would happen at the end of the six-year period. I think most of the loans would be on a schedule for repayment of capital interest, depending on the schedule, after six years. Prior to the future growth loan scheme, the banks already had arrangements in place where they were providing five-year loans and had agreements on how the loans might be rolled over. Some of those would, therefore, be commercial arrangements. Our intention, working with the lenders, is that in cases involving three-year money coming to the end of the term this year that needs to be refinanced for a longer period, borrowers will get access to this guarantee at competitive rates and on better terms. I hope that is helpful to the Deputy.

On the warehousing of debt and the CRSS and CBAS, those payments are essentially contributions to the fixed costs of any business in receipt of them. The Government has indicated that those payments will be available until the end of June. There will not be a cliff edge. Obviously, it is too early to say what will happen there. The business plans that would be developed by any business will obviously take account of what they have benefited from to date and then project forward.

Last year, businesses were submitting applications to the banks with a number of scenarios. That would be the normal sensitivity testing which would be done by the banks, in terms of saying remain open and demand recovers this year or next year, but assessing what might happen if there was a further shock. The track record has been that the Government has stepped in to provide the necessary supports for employees through the wage subsidy scheme as well as to cover fixed costs with the CRSS and the SBASC. I expect any warehousing of debt and repayments would be part of the scheduling and the financial planning which would be built in. The Revenue Commissioners have issued guidance as to when some of those liabilities will fall due. They are open to engagement and that would feature as part of the financial planning.

As Deputy Bruton mentioned, there is financial advice available to businesses. We encourage businesses, and certainly microbusinesses, that are trying to work through those financial plans at this stage and are looking forward 12 and 18 months and looking at the financial projections to engage with their local enterprise office, and if they had a mentor last year or they had somebody to engage with through the business continuity scheme to engage with them again. Fáilte Ireland has similar support, as well as Enterprise Ireland. Certainly, they should get good advice, as many businesses have done. That has helped to sustain businesses over the last year, in that they put good business financially sustainable plans in place with their financial projections. If the Deputy seeks further detail on that, I am happy to refer back to him.