Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement yesterday in the budget for businesses and the funding the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has secured for the €250 million grant to be given to businesses in the first quarter of 2024. This grant will be half of the rates bill that they paid in 2022, up to €20,000. Of the €20,000 they had been paying in rates, they will be able to claim half of that back in the first quarter of 2024. We have spoken to businesses. The important thing they told us was around the challenge with some of schemes that had been set up and the difficulty in applying for things like this. In this case they will have to do nothing. It will be given straight back to them and there is no application that has to be put forward by the business. It is a direct payment that will be put back to them at a time when costs are most difficult for businesses. This is in recognition of the increase in the minimum wage. That will affect a lot of small to medium-sized businesses, including in places in Tipperary where I am from. Along with other schemes that have been announced with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the local enterprise offices, and funding towards IDA Ireland, for the small to medium-sized businesses this is a recognition of the challenges they have over the next number of months.