Mr. Declan Hughes:

I thank the Deputy for his questions. We have received a range of queries that are going back out to the local authorities, which hopefully have been helpful. However, once a business is on a rated premises, even if it is not the business paying the rates - and of course some elements of the rates charge are contained in their bill or payment - then that business will be eligible. Regarding the business referred to by the Deputy, clarification was provided that it would be eligible because it is a business in its own right providing a service on the premises of someone else. That service provision has ceased, but the business concerned has a fixed point of operation. It has a fixed premises in that park, and that is an important point. We have really tried to get the message out in that regard.

It is also addressed in the frequently asked questions for the local authorities, which is helpful.

For others, such as circus businesses, it is a small amount but they would certainly be eligible. Most of them have a lock-up or storage as well. What we are trying to do with the SBASC is to cover their fixed costs. It is not necessarily about covering their loss of income or, in many of these cases, the ongoing maintenance and re-equipment, which, as the committee will know from many examples, may well be significant. It is trying to ensure they will at least have funding that will sustain them from a fixed-costs perspective. I hope it has been helpful and we will seek to examine further initiatives for other sectors. While we rolled out the small business assistance scheme, our colleagues in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media launched the music and entertainment scheme, which is again trying to cater for some of those businesses that were not covered by CRSS or other schemes. We need to ensure we have the right mix of supports. There are probably still a small number of home workers and so on whom we need to ensure can get back up and running quickly.

As for credit unions, I mentioned in the context of the credit guarantee scheme that extensive work has been done with the Department of Finance and the SBCI to ensure that credit unions could participate. There have thus far been two tranches of credit unions that have put in the required systems, the capacity and the risk assessment. Some credit unions have got those systems in place in their own right and will be well versed in lending and risk assessment for credit unions. We are very keen to see them step up and continue to participate in that market. Ms Kilcullen might like to comment on that.