Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, I announced the reopening of the ICOB grant scheme from 15 May to 29 May. This is to ensure those business owners who missed the deadline can now register. They should do so without delay, and the sooner they register, the sooner the local authority can verify the information and make a payment to the businesses. I have also made a change to the scheme that allows for a second payment to be made to businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors or a double payment for businesses in those sectors that are now registering.

An important aspect of the increased cost of business grant scheme has been to directly involve the local authorities in the authorisation and payment processes, as they are closest to the commercial life in their cities and counties and work in the provision of supports to smaller enterprises via the local enterprise offices. This is the one reason eligibility is, in part, determined by the rates system, which is a good proxy for determining the scale and size of a business.

Businesses that are tenants can register as long as they are ratepayers. It has been brought to my attention that some businesses have entered into arrangements with their landlords whereby the rent payable includes an amount towards rates and their rates bill is in turn satisfied by the landlord. The legal position under section 4 of the Local Government Rates and Other Matters Act 2019 as well as the amendments introduced through the Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 is that tenants whose rent incorporates their rates obligation, which is remitted by the landlord, cannot be deemed to be ratepayers. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate and possibly counterproductive for me to attempt to interfere with existing commercial arrangements between small businesses and their landlords in the context of the increased cost of business scheme.

The priority has been to ensure that as many businesses as possible receive the funding as quickly as possible. For those who cannot access the scheme, if there is an issue with the landlord or the way they have structured the payment of rates, there are other parts of the scheme they can access. When the scheme has concluded, we will look at what money is left over or has not been drawn down from the quarter of a billion euro. My job now is speed, to get as much money out to the SME sector as quickly as possible and not get dragged into putting additional conditions on those paying the money.

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