Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 5 October 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Update on Quarters 1 and 2: Discussion

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the business energy support scheme, I watched the budget briefing on budget day and it was said that the scheme is open to any business. I have some concerns in that regard. The ability for any business to apply to the scheme could potentially leave us open to abuse while, obviously, the net needs to be cast wide and any business that deserves it should be in the scheme. Will the Minister outline how the Department will ensure the systems are in place to ensure that only businesses that qualify under the terms of the scheme will be able to benefit under its terms? The net needs to be cast wide but there is a concern. People were extremely angry that businesses benefited from support during Covid and those same businesses subsequently paid out dividends to their shareholders. That angered people because they felt those businesses maybe did not need that support. Is there going to be a system in place to ensure against this or is it a case of bringing everyone in? In that regard, is the finance there to support the casting of a very wide net?

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