Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 26 January 2022

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised)

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The sector itself thinks it was absolutely vital. The operation of that scheme in particular has been acknowledged by the sector as something that was incredibly timely and helpful for it. The Deputy will remember we introduced the scheme in the context of budget 2021. At that point we were literally about to go into another phase of our economy being shut down. Businesses that were going to have to close down again very suddenly were facing a really high level of cost. We designed and brought that scheme in to seek to reduce that cost and defray the expenses those businesses were facing and it has been acknowledged as a very valuable support by the sector. To tie this to the Deputy's previous question, we will need to do work, and I imagine the work will be done for us by other organisations as well, to review how that money was spent and what the learnings are. I expect the work will begin when we exit the CRSS and the EWSS.