Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not interfering with any business; I am supporting business. While I appreciate the companies to which the Deputy has referred are facing many difficulties and challenges and they have like many other businesses had a tough couple of years, I reiterate that fundamentally the reason they are outside the scheme at the moment is their trading performance is better than a 30% decline versus 2019. For some time, we have made clear that to enter the scheme, a company’s change in business and change in turnover has to be greater than a certain figure. That was clearly communicated in budget 2022 and in many other statements from me during the year. Therefore, while I appreciate that not being able to access this scheme can have an effect on the business, equally it is important that I am consistent in saying that if the entry into this scheme is a certain figure, it does not change suddenly. It is for that reason that this figure is being maintained.

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